Together, We Strive
by Adv4eternity
Summary: Someone is out to kill Mei and her family. While on the run, Mei unintentionally drags Yuzu, who had just moved into the city, into the situation. Together, they attempt to survive, determine the identity of the culprit, and learn more about each other on this life-changing journey. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Things you should know about before reading: this is an alternate universe where Mei and Yuzu have never met before, certain characters have slightly altered backgrounds/motivations for the story, and death occurs.**

 **Also, I'll occasionally post updates on my profile for if there will be delays in writing, etc.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Citrus or its characters**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

A young, raven-haired woman stood quietly in a small, dim hospital room, soaking in the heated exchange between a tall man and an elderly person. The woman observed the angry gestures the tall man displayed with his hands, and she observed how the elderly man, who lay on a bed, waved away his concerns.

"You're being ridiculous! You would pass up the opportunity of running this great and prosperous company, just so you can explore the world? I never thought my son would become so pathetic and weak," the older man snarled as much as his frail body could muster. "Imagine how the media and our consumers would view us if they knew the authority of the business skipped an entire generation. The Aihara's would gain a terrible reputation!"

"I fail to understand how passing up on this opportunity would be negative for our family," the younger man said in frustration. "Surely, the media and our consumers wouldn't care about that. They only care about a running company."

"That is where you are wrong." The old man coughed viciously. "If you were to bail, then what would everyone think when the power of the company is delivered into the tiny hands of a little girl? They wouldn't trust her! They'd think that the company will be doomed to fail! Not to mention the lies and mischief the media will spread."

"Mei is perfectly capable of managing the company! I have taught her everything she needs to know," the younger man said with a raised voice.

"Sho!" the old man bellowed, then coughed severly as he gasped for breath. "I don't doubt that Mei is qualified to run the company, but I can't guarantee that others will think the same way.

The young woman, Mei, sighed as the two continued to argue. And to think she had thought that today, while her grandfather was on his deathbed, there wouldn't be any trouble or any arguing. The woman heard her father groan in frustration and saw him head towards the door.

"Mei, we are leaving." Her father opened the door and left without looking back. Mei said her goodbyes to her agitated grandfather, and closed the door behind herself. She followed her father through the halls of the complex, out the main entrance, and into a waiting limousine. In the now-moving vehicle, Mei looked out the window in silence, soaking up her father's mumbling about the inheritance of the family business and how inconvenient and unfair this was for him.

"Sensei, what do you plan to do?" Mei faced her father, who was now stroking his chin.

"I don't know. I'd really like to pursue my own dreams and go travel, but I also don't want you to carry the burden of the family legacy." Sho sighed. He looked out the window and contemplated for a minute. "As much as I don't want to say it, I think I have to put aside my dreams for now."

Mei nodded in response, then looked out the window again at the passing cars, buildings, and trees. Before, she was concerned that her father would abandon her and thus make her feel pressured and stressed to look after the family business, but now she can rest easy knowing that her father was now taking on his responsibility.

* * *

"How's Tokyo so far, Yuzu-chan?"

A bright, cheerful woman with dyed hair had her phone pinched between her cheek and shoulder, and was in the middle of a call with her childhood friend. While talking on the phone, the woman with blonde hair set out to move and organize several boxes in her new apartment.

"So far, so good!" Yuzu replied, moving a big, heavy box into her bedroom. "The city is wonderful, and I'm so excited about all of the job opportunities here!"

"I hope you can find a job really quickly!" Yuzu's friend, Matsuri, said.

"I hope so, too." Yuzu agreed. Yuzu then moved some smaller boxes into her bedroom.

"Well, hopefully I can visit you relatively soon! I really want to see the big city, as well as your new house!"

"Too bad you're starting your next semester in college very soon, right?" Yuzu spoke into the phone while moving several boxes into the dining room.

"Yeah. That sucks. Can't wait to graduate from this place," Matsuri muttered.

"Well, you first have to get through the pain of studying for all those exams." Yuzu giggled at her friend's misfortune.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Well, I'll let you finish whatever you are doing. I'll talk to you soon!" Matsuri said through the phone.

"Talk to you soon, too! And good luck on your studies!" Yuzu ended the phone call and slipped her phone into her pocket. She hummed to herself as she organized her belongings and occasionally wiped off the sweat that glistened on her forehead.

Putting in all the energy into rearranging her boxes and furniture made her feel hot and enervated, and as Yuzu lay back on her couch to rest, she noticed that the clock mounted on her wall read that it was nearly noon. As if on cue, Yuzu could feel her stomach grumble in hunger, and Yuzu figured that now was a good time to do some grocery shopping. She picked up her keys and locked the front door upon exiting. Since she lived on the higher floors of her building, she took the elevator down, whilst taking out her phone and scanning the list of things she wanted to buy. Upon reaching the lobby, Yuzu exited the building and into the bustling streets of the city.

"I can really get used to this lifestyle." Yuzu beamed as she stared at her surroundings with excited eyes. And with that, Yuzu halted her expedition of getting ingredients and food to explore the various eye-catching stores nearby.

* * *

Mei and her father had received a phone call that her grandfather passed away not long after they left the hospital. Now, standing before a crowd of people outside, Sho made his way to the podium on an elevated stage. He cleared his throat, and, while the flashes of cameras constantly bombarded him, he began his speech.

"Not long ago, I found out that my father had passed away. While he and I had opposing views and beliefs, I will honor him by taking up the mantle of the company he founded," Sho spoke with clarity. Nearby, Mei watched and heard her father make promises saying that he would not let down his father or the company, and that he would take great strides to execute his father's visions.

"I assure you all, as the successor, the integrity of-"

A loud gunshot exploded in the air and echoed down several blocks in the city. Screaming quickly ensued, and the many people in the audience ran amok, pushing and shoving to escape the area.

Mei, who had her eyes shut and her ears covered, slowly looked around. She gasped in horror as her father lay on the stage, with blood oozing out of his head. Mei stood still in shock, finding herself unable to move a muscle. All she could do was stare at the puddle of blood that grew larger with every passing second.

"Aihara-san!" Mei immediately snapped out of her trance and focused her attention on a man she recognized in the meetings her grandfather had held before. "Aihara-san, we must get out of here! It's no longer safe!"

As Mei's acquaintance tried to usher her out of the press conference, another gunshot rang in the air. Mei heard the sound of the impact, and could only watch helplessly as the man next to her fell to the ground and lay motionless. In the midst of the the commotion, out of the corner of her eye, Mei noticed another man in business attire approach her. Mei assumed that he was one of her father's acquaintances who was trying to help her escape, but Mei, instead, was met with a man holding a sharp, glistening knife. As the man walked closer and closer, preparing to thrust his knife into Mei's defenseless body, a gunshot once again rang in the air, but this time from a nearby policeman. The body plummeted to the ground, and Mei finally found the courage to run, sprinting as fast as her legs could move away from the nightmare. Following a pack of screaming people, Mei noticed that several police vehicles had just pulled up to suppress and apprehend any assassins.

A policewoman approached Mei, urging her to enter a nearby police car in order to get to safety. Mei followed her without question, situating herself in the backseat of the vehicle. The driver quickly stepped on the pedal, and they drove away. Mei took her time to breathe and collect her mind, wondering how today had turned for the worst. She wiped off the sweat of her palms on her skirt, and she tried to convince herself that she was now safe.

Mei looked out the window to see...that she was being taken further and further away from the closest police station. Confused, Mei gauged the policewoman's reactions in the rear view mirror. The woman upfront had a calm expression, and Mei feared for the worst.

"Excuse me, but aren't we going in the wrong direction?" Mei asked, keeping her eyes on the rear view mirror.

"Don't worry, I'll handle everything," the policewoman simply replied.

"Please stop the car. I'd like to get out." Mei inched towards the door to her side. "By now, we should be far away from any danger.

The policewoman complied, slowing the car and pulling up to the side of a somewhat empty road. Mei waited for the car doors to be unlocked so she can exit, but the locks remained as they were. Instead, the driver stepped out of her side of the car and made her way to Mei. Mei furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, then felt her heart stop when she noticed the woman's hand sliding towards her pistol. Mei quickly slid to the opposite end of the vehicle and manually unlocked the car. She exited the vehicle and kept her head low to prevent the hostile woman from seeing her. Mei heard footsteps approaching her right, so Mei quietly crawled towards the left around the car. Knowing that she wouldn't last long in this game of cat and mouse, Mei made a break for a nearby building and ran around its corner, causing the perpetrator to growl in frustration after missing her mark and instead shooting the wall of the building.

Mei panted as she weaved in between buildings, lamp posts, and other structures. She quickly looked behind to see that she had somehow distanced herself from the policewoman, and as Mei focused her attention back to where she was running, she felt herself come into contact with another person and fell to the ground from her momentum. Mei shook her head to ignore the pain she felt after colliding her head into something, and she shook her hands to ignore the pain after bracing herself. Soon, Mei realized that a person lay beneath her; the blonde woman on the ground groaned in pain and looked up into Mei's eyes, then at her bags of ruined ingredients and food.

"I'm so sorry, but I must get going," Mei said apologetically as she got off of Yuzu. Before she could run, several bullets flew by, barely missing her flesh.

"What the heck?" Yuzu exclaimed after hearing several gunshots. The sounds of shouting and screaming shook the area, and the people around them started running in every direction. Mei looked towards the perpetrator, who was now awfully close to them. Fearing that the woman she tackled would end up getting targeted by the hostile officer and the other assassins, Mei dragged Yuzu up onto her feet and started sprinting hand-in-hand.

"We have to get out of here! You're no longer safe," Mei said, while Yuzu looked confused. Yuzu looked back and forth between Mei and the angry police officer, and she connected two-and-two.

"You're a wanted criminal, aren't you?" Yuzu exclaimed, stopping in her tracks and causing Mei to slow down.

"No, that's not it at all. If I were a wanted criminal, then that officer wouldn't be shooting from a distance in such a crowded place and risk shooting innocent bystanders," Mei replied, dragging Yuzu again as they rounded several buildings. Yuzu took in Mei's arguments and found them to be logical, and she decided to trust the raven-haired girl.

"Where are we going, then?" Yuzu inquired.

"I don't know. We just have to lose her and hide someplace safe. Once we do so, I'll explain everything I know."

* * *

Mei and Yuzu hid behind the safety of bushes and the shade of the trees in a park. Both of them squatted down and scanned their surroundings for any sign of the policewoman, or any other suspicious looking people, and after examining the environment for a minute, they breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they were safe for now.

"So, want to tell me what's going on, Miss…" Yuzu began to ask.

"Aihara Mei," Mei answered. "A little while ago, at a press conference my father was holding, there was some shooting, and...my father was killed."

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" Yuzu gasped before being interrupted.

"Someone tried to shoot me, but ended up killing someone else, and another man approached me with a knife," Mei continued, gaining a shocked look from Yuzu. "I was then approached by that policewoman you saw earlier, and she went and tried to kill me."

"Thank goodness you somehow survived all that, Aihara-san," Yuzu breathed out. "Will you return home, where you will hopefully be safe?"

"I suspect that someone who hates my family hired some thugs to take us out, so I do not think I should head back to where I live. For all I know, this person could be very familiar with my lifestyle and residency." Mei looked around the park to make sure that they were still safe.

"Can't you reside with the police? They'll surely protect you until this case is closed," Yuzu suggested.

"I do not think that is a good idea for me. I fear that more people within the police force were bought out and would only kill me if I came into their care," Mei replied. "So as of now, I am on the run."

"Well," Yuzu thought for a moment, "you could stay over at my place. We'll just stay there and hope that the situation will be handled quickly."

"Thank you, I will gladly accept this opportunity. I am indebted to you." Mei bowed her head. "And I apologize for accidentally dragging you into this dreadful situation.

"You shouldn't worry too much. Oh, and please call me Yuzu," the blonde happily said. "Well, let's hurry on over to my place!"

Mei and Yuzu stood up from their hiding spot and exited the serene park. They followed a trail back to the crowded streets and walkways, all while being wary of potential assassins. Yuzu pulled up a map on her smartphone to navigate her way back, as she was still not too familiar with the city. Eventually, they arrived at a tall, wide building, and they walked through the automatic front doors. Yuzu walked towards the receptionist's desk towards the side, and requested in a hushed voice, "Excuse me, if anyone says they are searching for me or my friend, do not tell them we're here."

The receptionist nodded, and Mei and Yuzu walked towards the elevators. They stepped inside and arrived at Yuzu's floor, and Yuzu led Mei to her apartment. After entering, Mei noticed the several boxes on the floor, and soon realized that Yuzu had just moved here.

"Please make yourself at home!" Yuzu said with a smile, but was interrupted by the raven-haired girl.

"Do you have an alarm system for the front door?" Mei asked in her usual serious voice.

"Umm, yeah, I think so. I'll go set it up now." Yuzu said, her smile beginning to falter. While Yuzu was operating on the alarm mechanism for the front door, Mei proceeded to close the windows and shut the blinds for each of them. "Aihara-san, I managed to set up the alarm, so if anyone should open the door, we will be alerted." Yuzu walked towards Mei, who had just finished closing all the windows.

"Good. And no one should be able to see inside this place from the outside." Mei pointed towards the cardboard boxes scattered the apartment. "As payment for your hospitality, would you like me to help you organize your things?"

"Yes, I'd really appreciate that," Yuzu replied. "For now, take the box in the kitchen and place the silverware in the cabinet, and then I can make us some lunch with the ingredients that I…"

Mei looked at Yuzu's horrified look and remembered that the groceries were all destroyed and left behind after they collided.

"I apologize for ruining your plans and your day." Mei bowed again. "I will make it up to you someday."

"Don't worry about that." Yuzu composed herself and started digging through her purse. Soon enough, she revealed four snack bars. "I have these four protein bars, so while they may not completely satisfy our stomach, we'll at least have something to eat."

"What about dinner?"

"Well…" Yuzu contemplated, "we can each take one bar for lunch, and save the last for dinner. As for tomorrow, unless we don't go shopping, we'll starve. But then again, there's also the risk of running into some dangerous people..."

"We will decide on what to do about the food situation later. For now, we can check the news for any updates, and hopefully we won't have to worry about starving and getting killed," Mei said.

Yuzu nodded in agreement. She walked towards the TV, grabbed the remote to turn it on, and switched it to the news channel, while Mei organized the utensils and dishes in the kitchen. Afterwards, they grabbed their protein bar for lunch, sat across from the TV on a couch, and ate while watching the news. To their disappointment, while the reporters stated that one assassin was killed, and two others were arrested, the motivation and identity of the employer of the assassins remained a mystery. The reporter also said the police suspects there are many more hired thugs in the city and that they all seem to be targeting the Aihara family.

"Ugh, nothing has changed. We're still in danger from these crazy people." Yuzu groaned, leaning back in the couch and flailing her arms. Mei remained silent and kept a stern face, incredulous at the lack of progress in the crime investigation. Mei remain absorbed by the TV screen, while Yuzu left to finish sorting and arranging her belongings and furniture. Hours flew by, and when Yuzu returned to the couch, the news reporters revealed that the police was still at a loss with the events that occurred today.

The light of day soon faded into the dark of night, and Mei and Yuzu both finished their second and last snack bar. Yuzu headed for the bathroom to shower, and when she was done and dressed in her nightwear, Mei used the bathroom. Since Mei and Yuzu did not plan for the raven-haired woman to stay over for an unknown amount of time, Yuzu lent Mei a shirt, a pair of shorts, and, embarrassingly for Yuzu, her underwear. Fortunately for them, they wore the same-sized undergarments, and after Mei finished using the bathroom and changing, they decided to go to sleep.

"Aihara-san, you can sleep in the guest bedroom across from my room." Yuzu pointed Mei towards where she would sleep, and Mei opened the door of the room and stepped inside. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?" Mei simply shrugged her shoulders in response and kept her back faced towards Yuzu. "Oh yeah, Aihara-san, is it okay if I just call you Mei?" Yuzu asked, wanting to get closer to the raven-haired girl and make her her first friend in Tokyo. Mei didn't answer back, causing Yuzu to feel downcast. Yuzu sighed and slowly closed Mei's door. "Good night," Yuzu whispered through the door.

* * *

An obnoxious, constant beeping noise resonated throughout the apartment, causing Mei to flutter her eyes open. Staring straight into the darkness, Mei turned her head to look at a digital clock on the nightstand beside her to see that it was twelve in the morning. Suddenly, the almost-silent sound of footsteps outside the room caused Mei to instantly face the door, and her eyes widened in terror. A shrill scream filled Mei's ears, and Mei quickly turned over onto her stomach, reached for the home phone on the nightstand, and dialed the emergency services number. Once the call was picked up, Mei heard her bedroom door slam open, snapping her attention. She felt her blood rush out of her body, and felt goosebumps grow on her skin. Before Mei was a shadowy figure, taking haunting steps towards her, holding onto something very sharp.

Mei dropped the phone, crawled out of her futon, and tried to back away from the pursuer. She crawled to the corner of the room and looked up at the killer, who was now standing above her. Shaking uncontrollably while holding in her breath, Mei braced herself with her arms and shut her eyes tightly. She shed a tear, and she waited for the impending blow. However, she heard the sound of spraying, shortly before hearing the agonizing scream of the killer. Mei opened her eyes and peered between her still bracing arms, and saw in the darkness a person falling to the ground, and another figure reaching her hand out. Mei realized that it was Yuzu, who probably had pepper spray and used it on the assassin.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Yuzu said with urgency, pulling Mei up to her feet. Mei stared in shock at the groaning man next to them, but Yuzu grabbed Mei's hand and started running. "It won't be long before the thugs recover from the pain. Come on!"

Mei and Yuzu ran to the front door, quickly put on shoes so they can run more comfortably, and left the building. As they passed by several streetlights outside, Mei couldn't help but notice something off about Yuzu. Taking a closer look at the blonde, Mei noticed the bruises on her cheek, and Mei found herself unable to tear her eyes from Yuzu. The blemish on Yuzu's skin made Mei feel a sense of guilt, and Mei could only wonder if that bruise would be the last of the consequences of this event, or foreshadowing for more darker, more horrid tragedies.

* * *

 **Thanks for readings, and s** **orry to all the Sho fans :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for your support!**

 **Also, I changed a very minor detail in chapter one that shouldn't impact the story (taser to pepper spray)**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Mei and Yuzu crouched down and hid behind a parked car. Their backs were leaned up against the vehicle, and they could see the bright, flashing red and blue lights glow brighter and brighter against the side of a building in front of them. As quickly as the flashing lights became brighter, the lights soon faded away, along with the blaring of the sirens. Since they were concerned about double crossers, the two women decided to lay low to avoid being seen by the passing police cars. Yuzu peered around the car to see if the coast was clear, then looked back at Mei, who was trying to control her breathing.

"We're safe for now. Let's hurry and get far away from here as quickly as possible," Yuzu whispered, earning a nod from Mei. Together, they ran on the sidewalk and made their way to smaller streets. Whenever a driver or some strangers would pass by, Mei and Yuzu would try and shield their faces with their hands while being as discreet as possible. They would also pick up their pace to get to more secluded areas.

Eventually, after having walked for about half an hour, Mei and Yuzu neared a large, beautifully made marble fountain. They stopped in their tracks so they could rest up a bit, and Mei sat at a nearby bench, while Yuzu followed and sat down with her. For awhile, they simply admired the colorful lighting of nearby buildings and lamps that lit up the darkness, and they also appreciated the effect the lighting had on the water that shot out from the fountain. Coupled with the soothing sound of the crickets, as well as the light the majestic full moon above reflected down onto the earth, the scenery made Mei and Yuzu feel content and devoid of worry for a little while. However, as much as they wanted to stay in this tranquil environment, they knew that they couldn't stay.

"Mei...I mean, uhh, Aihara-san," Yuzu stumbled on her words, "do you think it's safe for us to stay in Tokyo?"

Mei looked into Yuzu's eyes and understood what she meant, for she was beginning to think the same thing.

"No, not at all. But if we are to leave the city, how would we get transportation, and where would we go?" Mei questioned. "We don't have any money, food, or water on us, so I doubt we would last long."

"We can go to my hometown," Yuzu suggested. "I have a close friend there who probably wouldn't mind if we came over and stayed for a bit."

"But how will we get there?" Mei asked again. "And can she be trusted?"

"Fortunately, since I keep my phone on me at all times, I can call us a cab on my phone." Yuzu proposed, revealing her smartphone from her pocket. "It'll also be much safer than going on the train. As for her trustworthiness, she's been my friend for over a decade, so I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"Okay...but for the transportation issue, do you think it will be safe for us to go into a stranger's car?" Mei asked quietly. "What if the driver is a hired thug?

Yuzu looked down at her lap, pondering about if it was worth calling a cab. The thought of getting them both injured or killed because of a possible hostile taxi driver worried Yuzu, but the blonde recollected the frightening moments when they both ran for their lives away from the policewoman, and when the thugs broke into her apartment. Making up her mind, Yuzu faced Mei and placed her hand on the raven-haired woman's shoulder.

"I think it's worth giving the taxi a shot," Yuzu declared, seeing Mei's concerned expression. "Listen, if we don't ride in a taxi, then we'll be running and hiding for who knows how long. We'll eventually get tired, and we won't last long that way, not to mention we need to find places to hide in. "

"I...I don't know…" Mei said quietly, for she did not want a repeat of the policewoman situation in the car.

"There's no need to worry. If the taxi driver is an obvious threat, I can use my pepper spray," Yuzu reassured her. Mei saw the confidence and determination in Yuzu's eyes, and she decided that since Yuzu had helped her leading up to this point, she would trust her judgement. Mei nodded her head in agreement to Yuzu's plan, and Yuzu began looking into the taxi services from her phone.

After calling the cab and a few minutes of waiting, Mei and Yuzu observed a small vehicle approaching their location. When it stopped next to them, the back doors opened, and the two women stepped inside. The doors closed, and Yuzu told the driver to drop them off at a train station that was close to Matsuri's house, instead of their actual destination for safety reasons. After telling the driver their destination, he gave Mei and Yuzu a weird look, saying that they could simply take the train, but Yuzu convinced him that since it was late at night, if she and Mei took the train, they would fall asleep during the ride and miss their stop. The driver just simply sighed in response and started driving.

Along the ride, Mei kept her eyes locked onto the rear-view mirror, observing the driver's behavior for any sign of hostility or falseness. She rarely blinked, and she'd occasionally glance around the driver's seat for any concealed weapons. As the car drove onto the highway, they passed several street lights that would briefly light up the interior of the car. Whenever the light shone inside the car, Yuzu would look at Mei, observing her serious and determined expression. The blonde was worried for Mei's mental health, particularly how the spine-chilling, petrifying near-death experiences would make Mei inordinately cautious, isolated, and paranoid. Not wanting Mei to become a cynic, Yuzu held Mei's hand and caressed her skin, causing Mei to look at her quizzically.

"Everything is going to be okay, Aihara-san," Yuzu whispered to Mei with a reassuring smile. "You should sleep for now. I'll wake you up when we arrive at our destination."

Mei had an unsure look on her face. She took a long, hard look at Yuzu, and after briefly looking at her bruised cheek, Mei shrugged away Yuzu's hand and decided against sleeping. Instead, she chose to keep watch on the taxi driver, not wanting to risk letting the potential henchman hurt anyone. Yuzu sighed in defeat, thinking that Mei disliked her for some reason, and gazed out the window at the lit up buildings in the distance and passing cars.

The car ride was uncomfortably quiet. Yuzu wanted to start a conversation with Mei multiple times, but each and every time she would decide against it, knowing that Mei would just ignore her. As for Mei, whenever the driver would lower his hand from the steering wheel, Mei would follow his hand movements with her eyes, cautious about if he would reach for a gun or a knife. However, the driver would only lower his hands to rest or to drink water, making Mei breathe a sigh of relief.

Much later into the ride, Yuzu ended up drifting into a deep sleep. For the most part, her sleeping body stayed in place, but when the car made a sharp turn, Yuzu swayed over to Mei's side of the car; Yuzu's head was squished against Mei's arm, and when Mei felt the wetness of her drool, she gently pushed Yuzu away so she would be sleeping against the window. Mei tried to focus her attention back on the driver, but the feeling of Yuzu's saliva on her shirt made Mei feel awkward and uncomfortable to the point that she slipped her arm out of the wet sleeve.

After an hour had passed, the car finally neared the train station of interest. The cab pulled over to the side and unlocked the doors. Since Yuzu was still asleep, Mei, who now had her arm back in the sleeve since the saliva dried off, shook her shoulder to get her to wake up. The blonde fluttered her eyes open to see Mei's unemotional face, then realized that the car was parked to the side.

"Oh, we're here already?" Yuzu wondered aloud. Mei didn't reply to her question and instead exited the vehicle and stood on the sidewalk next to them. Yuzu thanked the driver for driving them this late in the night and for a long distance, and she stepped out of the car. As Mei and Yuzu stood in the lights of the train station behind them, they watched the car drive away until it wasn't visible anymore.

"Where is your friend staying?" Mei asked, wanting to get to shelter quickly.

"Oh, she lives about eight minutes away. Come on, I'll lead the way." Yuzu and Mei made their way away from the train station and followed a path with fewer street lights. As they walked, Yuzu couldn't help but enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, with the dim, orange lighting of the spaced light poles, the few trees and bushes around them, and the constant sound of crickets. The serenity almost made Yuzu forget that they were running away from danger and death, and that they were instead simply relishing in peaceful late night walks.

"Did you tell your friend that we're coming?" Mei asked, snapping Yuzu away from her thoughts.

"Oh, um, now that you mention it, I may have forgotten to do just that…" Yuzu chuckled awkwardly. Mei sighed in disappointment, and Yuzu reddened in embarrassment. "Well, I'll just text her now, I guess."

Yuzu sent out a message to Matsuri, apologizing and saying that she and another person were in desperate need of shelter. Matsuri soon replied to her text, simply telling Yuzu to explain everything once they arrive.

After a few minutes had passed, Mei and Yuzu arrived at their destination. Yuzu knocked on the front door, and the door opened to reveal a slightly shorter girl with pink hair and headphones around her neck. Once Matsuri's eyes adjusted to the darker lighting outside her house, she had a look of concern after seeing the bruised mark on Yuzu's cheek.

"Yuzu-chan, what happened?" the college student asked before shaking her head from side-to-side. "Never mind. Come on in first. We'll talk about it over some tea and snacks." Matsuri ushered in Yuzu and Mei, then closed the door. As Matsuri set out to get the drinks and some food, Mei and Yuzu sat quietly on a cramped couch that was near the front door. "Sorry if it's a little too cramped in here. Ever since I moved out, I could only afford this tiny house," Matsuri explained as she came back with a tray of Pocky, cookies, and tea. She also fetched Yuzu an ice pack for her cheek.

"It's fine. Thank you for letting us in." Yuzu smiled warmly as Matsuri set down the tray on a coffee table and kneeled down on the floor across from her.

"We apologize for our unsolicited visit." Mei bowed her head.

"Look at you, acting so formal." Matsuri grinned teasingly at Mei. "So, who are you?"

"I am Aihara Mei," the raven-haired woman replied. Matsuri simply nodded her head in response.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Matsuri," Matsuri said with an unnerving smile, then faced Yuzu. "So, want to explain to me what brought you two here at this hour?"

"Okay, you might not believe this since it sounds crazy, but we actually had to run away from Tokyo," Yuzu began.

"Why's that?" Matsuri inquired. Yuzu looked at Mei to see if she was okay with telling Matsuri the truth, and seeing as how Mei wasn't interjecting, Yuzu continued speaking.

"Well, for some reason, someone hired a couple assassins to kill Aihara-san, and then I got dragged into the mess unintentionally," Yuzu explained. "We were supposed to hide out in my apartment, but they somehow broke in. We escaped, and then we called a cab to get here."

Matsuri frowned and looked disgusted. She glared at Mei, who didn't flinch, stood up, and towered over her. She pointed an accusing finger, saying, "So, you are the one responsible for getting Yuzu-chan injured. What the hell are you thinking, endangering her life?"

"Wait, Matsuri, I said it was an accident," Yuzu told her best friend as the blonde stood up and placed her hands on the pink-haired girl's shoulder to calm her down. "Besides, she wasn't the one who gave me this mark, it was a thug!"

"Still! She made you a target, thus meaning that she hurt you!" Matsuri raised her voice, never looking away from Mei. She snarled, "Isn't that right, _Mei-san_? You wouldn't disagree that you are endangering my best friend, right?"

Mei remained quiet and didn't back down from Matsuri's glare. Not liking how tense the atmosphere had become, Yuzu walked in between Mei and Matsuri and gently pushed her childhood friend away.

"Please, Matsuri. We don't want any trouble. Just let this go, okay?" Yuzu begged. Matsuri gave Mei a cold look before looking at Yuzu's pleading expression. She sighed, then decided that she didn't want Yuzu to feel more distressed.

"Fine. I'll stop. For now," Matsuri grumbled, then walked away from the small living room to open her bedroom door. "Since you two are probably feeling very drowsy from lack of sleep, and since there is only one futon, Yuzu can take my futon, while _Mei-san_ and I will sit and sleep on the couch."

"Matsuri, you should take the futon. I feel bad for how we came over without letting you know ahead of time, so Aihara-san and I will sleep on the couch." Yuzu spoke up, causing Matsuri to frown.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. Goodnight then. I'll be going to my room now." Matsuri said. She glowered at Mei one last time before retreating into her room, and Yuzu sighed in relief that the arguing was done for now.

"Sorry about that, Aihara-san," Yuzu said apologetically to Mei. "Matsuri's usually never like this. She's just very protective, that's all."

Mei nodded her head without uttering a word, and she got off of the couch and lay on the floor, preparing to sleep.

"Aihara-san, you should sleep on the couch. It's much more comfortable here than on the floor." Yuzu peered over at Mei.

"No thanks. You'd probably just keep moving around in your sleep and keep me awake," Mei said in a monotone voice.

Yuzu felt a sting in her chest. She looked away from Mei in sadness, walked towards the light switch, and turned off the lights. She made her way to the couch, lay down, and stared up into the dark ceiling.

"Goodnight," Yuzu whispered, even though she knew that Mei wouldn't respond to her.

* * *

Mei awoke to the sound of the front door closing, and for a second, her heart raced in fear that the assassins had found her and Yuzu. She sat up from the floor and turned to find that it was Matsuri who closed the door. Mei noticed the several bags that her host was carrying, and she figured that Matsuri had gone out to do some shopping. As Matsuri slipped off her shoes and carried the bags to the table across from Yuzu's sleeping body, she realized that Mei was awake.

"Morning," Matsuri grunted as she dug through the bags on the table and tossed over a sandwich wrapped in plastic, a water bottle, a pair of dark skinny jeans and sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a black fleece jacket to Mei. Mei looked over at the gifts, not expecting such a thing from her rather agitated host.

"Th-thank you. I'm speechless," Mei said, thinking that Yuzu's friend wasn't as bad as she thought she would be.

"No need to thank me. I figured you and Yuzu-chan could both use some clean clothes, especially since I don't want you two to stink up the place," Matsuri responded with a bored tone. "Plus, I figured you were the emo type, so I bought some darker, edgier clothes for you. Also, I should mention that the clothes might not be the right size for you."

"Well, I thank you again for going out of your way to do this for us." Mei got up to use the bathroom and change. Once she came back from the bathroom, Yuzu was awake and was stretching her arms and legs.

"Oh, good morning!" Yuzu exclaimed with a smile after noticing Mei, and Mei nodded in acknowledgment. Yuzu sat up straight on the couch, making room for Mei to sit.

"Yuzu-chan, I got you breakfast and some clothes!" Matsuri beamed at her friend while walking over to her to give her a shopping bag.

"Matsuri, you didn't have to do this!" Yuzu held the bag with a smile, not expecting Matsuri to have bought things for her. "But what about your money? Don't you have a limited amount to spend?"

"Part-time jobs do wonders for us!" Matsuri grinned, and Yuzu remembered that before she moved away, her friend had found a job in a coffee shop. "Don't worry about the money, Yuzu-chan. Especially considering your... _situation_."

Mei saw Matsuri giving her an unfriendly stare as she emphasized the last word. She decided to ignore Matsuri's threatening look and opened the plastic bag encasing the sandwich to eat. Meanwhile, Yuzu looked uncomfortable at how Matsuri was treating Mei, and she decided that if Matsuri continued to be condescending towards the quiet woman, then she would have a talk with her.

"Matsuri, may you please turn on the TV to the news channel?" Yuzu asked, wanting to switch the subject while also being curious about if the investigators had uncovered any information regarding the employer of the assassins. Matsuri obliged, using the remote control on the coffee table to turn on the TV across from the couch. All eyes were focused on the screen, which showed a reporter asking the chief of police a few questions in front of Yuzu's apartment building.

"Excuse me, can you give us any details about what happened last night?" the reporter asked.

"Look, I'm going to explain a few things very quickly, since I still have to investigate what's going on," the chief of police said with an impatient and annoyed look. "Last night, we received a call from someone living in the building behind me. We weren't able to talk to the caller, but through the phone, we could hear screaming and someone else in the room saying that they had to run away..."

Matsuri looked at Yuzu with a questioning face, and Yuzu nodded to confirm that she and Mei were the ones being talked about in the news.

"...when the police arrived at the scene, we heard the sound of an alarm, and we saw signs of conflict in two of the rooms. We believe there were two victims total, and at least two assailants who broke in. All were missing when we arrived," the chief of police continued. "As of now, we do not know the location of the victims or the attackers. We also suspect that this case may be related to the tragedy at the press conference earlier."

Upon hearing that the police still didn't have a lead, Yuzu groaned, while Mei appeared disappointed. Matsuri just simply stared at both Mei and Yuzu, wondering how they were dealing with this situation. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, thinking and pondering about what to do.

"I don't think it's safe for us to stay here," Mei suddenly declared while facing Yuzu. "I fear that the longer we stay, the more we put your friend in danger."

"The only danger is you," Matsuri remarked while crossing her arms, "There is no reason for Yuzu-chan to go along with a targeted person, who'd only get her killed." Matsuri approached Mei, who was unfazed, and started berating her. "Yuzu-chan is better off staying with me. You clearly can't be trusted, otherwise Yuzu-chan wouldn't have been brought into this nightmare and would not have gotten injured in the face."

Yuzu stared in shock at Matsuri's hurtful words, while Mei continued to glare at Matsuri. After awhile, Mei stood up, grabbed her half-eaten sandwich, water bottle, and clothes, and headed for the front door. Matsuri smirked as Mei opened the front door, while Yuzu appeared heavily troubled.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Yuzu shouted, causing Mei to stop in her tracks. Yuzu quickly grabbed her shopping bag, but was stopped by Matsuri.

"Yuzu-chan, what are you thinking? It's not safe to go with her," Matsuri said with a serious voice, begging for Yuzu to stay with her.

"It's not safe for you if I stay here. Aihara-san and I are in this together, plus, she needs someone to look after her!" Yuzu stated, causing Matsuri to have a look of disbelief. "You can't change my mind, Matsuri."

"But...but she'll get you killed," Matsuri whined. "You'll be safer just staying with me…"

"Listen…while it may seem safer for me to be with you, I also can't ignore how two thugs discovered where I lived." Yuzu sighed, thinking about how to put her thoughts together. "Yesterday, I had thought that Aihara-san and I would be safe in my apartment. I had thought that no one would find us and break in, but that is exactly what happened. I can't risk the same thing to happen to you."

Matsuri looked down at her feet, processing Yuzu's words. She grumbled in defeat, and she went into her room to get a few things, later returning with two drawstring bags, and a wallet full of cash.

"You two are going to need these," Matsuri muttered, giving them the bags and giving Yuzu the wallet. "Use the money to get more food and water and whatever else you need."

"Matsuri, thank you so much. You don't have to give us money, since I can use my phone-" Yuzu started saying before being interrupted.

"Just take the money. Plus, you can't rely on your phone since it will eventually run out of power," Matsuri pointed out. "Speaking of which, you should charge your phone before you and Mei-san leave."

Yuzu proceeded to plug her phone to a charger, while Mei closed the front door and sat down on the couch. Since Yuzu's phone still had some power before charging, it only took about an hour for it to reach full battery. Afterwards, Yuzu and Mei prepared to leave.

"Where will you two go?" Matsuri asked with a solemn face as Mei and Yuzu placed their things in the bags and carried them on their backs.

"To be honest, I'm not too sure," Yuzu admitted. "We'll probably just keep traveling further and further away from Tokyo to minimize the chance of getting spotted and hunted down, and we'll probably stay in motels to save money.

"So you're going to another town, right? You'd better call me later today when you get there." Matsuri crossed her arms with a serious expression.

"I'll be sure to call you when we arrive," Yuzu reassured Matsuri with a smile, but the pink-haired girl wore a face of sadness. Yuzu walked closer to her childhood friend and grasped her shoulders. "Look, I'm sorry it had to turn out this way. I promise to make it up to you, all right?"

"Just promise me that you will come back in one piece." Matsuri looked up at her friend.

"I promise," Yuzu answered with a wink, then headed out the door. Mei lingered behind to say a few words to Matsuri.

"Thank you again for letting us stay over," Mei said with sincerity. "I promise that I will look after her."

"I hope so," Matsuri said quietly so Yuzu couldn't hear her. "She's usually a carefree person, so she might accidentally get herself into trouble. Despite my being younger than her, I'm usually the one who watches out for her nowadays."

"I understand. I will make sure to keep her in line and safe." Mei exited the building to join Yuzu. They both looked back to see Matsuri waving them goodbye, and they waved back until Matsuri was out of sight.

"So, what did you two talk about before you left?" Yuzu asked, walking side-by-side with Mei on the sidewalk.

"Nothing much. I thanked her for housing us, and she simply wished us good luck and a safe journey," Mei replied, facing straight ahead. Yuzu turned her head to the front as well, and they continued walking while enjoying the chirping of the birds, the warmth of the sun, the cloudless sky, and the gentle breeze that caressed their skin.

"Listen, I wanted to apologize again for how Matsuri had been treating you. I had wished for you two to get along, but unfortunately, it didn't come to that." Yuzu suddenly said as she looked down at the pavement.

"Don't worry. I perfectly understand her disposition, and I do not blame her for getting defensive over you and irate towards me." Mei closed her eyes briefly, thinking about how Matsuri had said that she was usually the one who looked after Yuzu. Yuzu observed how Mei was in deep thought, then she, too, closed her eyes. She thought about the future, where she and Mei would return from hiding, meeting up with Matsuri again, and seeing all of them get along to celebrate.

"So, should we go buy some food and water for the trip ahead?" Yuzu asked, opening her eyes and looking at Mei.

"That's a redundant question," Mei replied, causing Yuzu to give an awkward chuckle. Together, they headed towards the closest grocery store, where they decided to only buy pre-packaged food, water bottles, and a couple snack bars for conveniency. After purchasing all the food and water with the money given by Matsuri, and after placing all the goods in her and Mei's bags, Yuzu realized that she needed to buy a phone charger. They exited the grocery store and made their way through the streets of the town.

"There's an electronic store up ahead. I need to quickly go there so I can get myself a charger," Yuzu said to Mei, picking up her speed to get the charger as quickly as possible, while Mei had to jog a little to catch up.

Yuzu walked through the automatic sliding doors of the store, gazing around at the wide variety of smartphones, tablets, laptops, batteries, and chargers. Shortly afterward, Mei joined her in the store, looking around at all the electronics. Yuzu went over to the aisle that sold the chargers, and she found one that was compatible with her phone.

"Aihara-san, do you need anything in here?" Yuzu asked Mei, who was following her around in the store.

"No. I don't have a phone, nor do I plan to get one," Mei replied, causing Yuzu to look perplexed.

"You've never had a phone? But having one is so fun and convenient!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"It may be, but I've never felt the need to get one."

"Aww, I was really hoping you'd get one now so we can exchange information and all that stuff," Yuzu said in defeat. "I'll just go to the front and buy my charger then."

Within a few minutes, Yuzu and Mei were back outside on the walkway. While wandering around the streets, they talked about where they should go next, and they decided that they would take the high-speed rail to a smaller, quieter town located very far away from Tokyo. The two expected to be far away from any danger if they followed through with the procedure, for it would be harder for any criminals to locate them. After discussing the plan, Mei and Yuzu started walking toward the train station. All seemed nice and peaceful, until they noticed a hooded person standing in a dark alleyway off in the distance, staring straight at them.

"Why is that person staring at us like that?" Yuzu wondered aloud while feeling a chill down her spine. "Do you think that person could spell trouble for us?"

Mei glanced at the mysterious figure, feeling uncomfortable under the person's gaze. She felt her heart beginning to pound faster, and she felt her hands becoming sweaty. As Mei and Yuzu continued to look back with concern and fear, the hooded figure disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway. Following her instincts, Mei grabbed Yuzu by the hand and ran for the train station. They went inside the building, bought a ticket for a town in the countryside, and got onto the train, praying that they weren't being followed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for your support!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

The train moved with immense speed, allowing it to cover great distances within a short amount of time. As the vehicle continued on its path through vast fields of green, hills, and mountains, Mei and Yuzu, who were sitting near the back of the train, kept their heads below the seats in front of them. This way, very few people, specifically hired thugs, would see them.

As time flew by, and while the train was still moving towards its many destinations, Mei and Yuzu opened their drawstring bags and took out a snack bar to eat. Mei, who was sitting in the aisle seat, made sure to occasionally peek around the chair in front of them for any suspicious passengers. All the passengers around them kept their heads down to look at their phones or to sleep, and others looked out the window to gaze at the scenery. Not noticing any suspicious behavior from the passengers, Mei would turn around and look past Yuzu, who was sitting next to the window, to stare at the passing trees and small towns off in the distance.

The sun steadily rose higher and higher up in the sky until it reached its peak. At this point, the train had made a few stops to let travelers get off. Mei and Yuzu heard the loud speaker state that their town of interest was the next stop, which they would arrive at in about fifteen minutes. Since it was noon, Mei and Yuzu decided to eat a sandwich they had bought from the grocery store in Yuzu's hometown. After finishing their meal, Yuzu couldn't help but fidget around in her seat. Mei asked her if there was a problem, and Yuzu replied saying that since the peaceful train ride was almost over, they'd have to worry about finding a place to stay in the town, as well as worry about if there were any stalkers on the train who would follow them. Mei sympathized with Yuzu, since she was also concerned about stalkers and especially the hooded figure in the alleyway from a few hours ago.

The dreaded fifteen minutes passed by slowly, and when the train came to a stop, Mei and Yuzu both took deep breaths and stepped off the train onto the railway platform. Since the platform was elevated a significant amount, they followed the few passengers who got off the train onto a set of escalators, bringing them down to ground level inside the train station. After stepping off the escalator, they quickly used the nearby bathroom to relieve themselves, then exited the building. Upon stepping outside, the two women noticed that the various buildings near and afar were particularly old and dull, and they could also see that the roads were much emptier compared to the bustling streets of Tokyo. To most people, this seemed like a desolate town, and Yuzu groaned in distress.

"Well, I guess this is where we are going to stay for now," Yuzu said unenthusiastically, not looking forward to living in the poorer town where living conditions would no doubt be different.

"Indeed. Let's find an inexpensive place to stay in," Mei suggested, looking indifferent about the status and condition of the area.

The two strolled around on the walkway. Everywhere they looked, there were potholes on the ground, and sometimes there were stray dogs wandering around and urinating as they pleased. Mei and Yuzu also noticed that the citizens around them wore clothes that weren't nearly as fashionable as in the bustling cities, and the number of people talking to each other at the benches and tables greatly outnumbered the people who were using phones. While walking through the streets, Yuzu couldn't help but feel more and more out of place in this town, and after awhile, she was beginning to lose her mind.

"I don't know if I can adapt to living in a place like this," Yuzu confessed, wishing that she could return home.

"You better pray that all the criminals who are after us get arrested quickly then," Mei responded, causing Yuzu to groan in disappointment.

After several minutes of Yuzu trudging and sulking a few steps behind Mei, they approached a small motel to check into. Fortunately for them, Yuzu was able to use her smartphone to get them a room, and after climbing a flight of stairs, they reached their door. Mei and Yuzu discovered that their room was quite small, with only one futon that was big enough for two people, a table with a chair, a TV that was on top of a drawer, a mini refrigerator, and a bathroom. The bathroom was cramped, as the toilet, sink, and shower stall were tightly packed next to each other.

Mei and Yuzu slipped off their shoes and stepped onto the soft padding of the floor. They set down their bags on the small table, and Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was a power outlet for her charger. She plugged in her charger and quickly checked her phone for notifications, while Mei looked around the room.

"I think I'm going to take a nap right now," Yuzu said with a yawn, turning off her phone and attaching it to the charger, then headed towards the futon.

"You sat around on the train doing nothing for a long time, and you're saying that you need to sleep now?" Mei questioned while raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I can't help that my body feels tired." Yuzu lay down on the futon and pulled the covers over herself. She closed her eyes, smiling as the sensation of sleep was about to overcome her.

"Well, I guess I'll take a nap as well," Yuzu heard Mei say. Yuzu snapped awake to see Mei sit on the small chair and rest her head on top of her crossed arms on the table.

"Wait, you should sleep over here," Yuzu commented as she sat up and made room for Mei on the futon. "Come on, it'll be much more comfortable here than on the chair.

Mei took a few seconds to ponder about if she should accept Yuzu's suggestion. On the one hand, her body craved the softness of the mattress, but on the other hand, she didn't really want to be too close to the other woman. In the end, because she hadn't slept as well as she would have liked on the floor in Matsuri's house, she decided that she would sleep on the futon with Yuzu. Mei got off the chair and made her way to the futon, got under the covers, and faced away from Yuzu as she lay down. Yuzu, on the other hand, began to blush uncontrollably, not realizing that, despite the mattress being large enough for two people, Mei was _very_ close to her. Yuzu turned her head to look at Mei, only to see that her raven hair was mere inches away from her face. Since they were so close to each other, the blonde caught a whiff of Mei's scent, causing the former to have random, flying thoughts.

 _Wow, she smells nice. I don't know why, but I can't seem to get enough of this._

Yuzu widened her eyes after realizing what she was thinking and mentally slapped herself. She quickly flipped over so she was facing away from Mei, hoping that she could just go to sleep. Unfortunately for Yuzu, her heart rate quickened, her body became sweaty, and her breathing became rapid.

 _Oh crap! Why am I reacting this way? Just go to sleep, me!_

Yuzu flipped onto her back and covered her face with her palms. She desperately wanted to get these thoughts out of her mind and nap, but now she was more energetic than ever. She groaned into her hands in frustration, silently chanting to herself to fall asleep, then flipped over once again so her back was facing Mei. What was supposed to be relaxing and revitalizing became a restless and agitating experience.

Yuzu felt the futon and the covers move, and she turned to see that Mei was getting up. The blonde observed how Mei was walking toward the lone chair and table and how she was sitting down to organize her bag.

"You aren't going to nap?" Yuzu asked with curiosity.

"I can't. Not with you moving and groaning like that," Mei muttered, causing Yuzu to appear flushed and disheartened.

"I'm sorry," was all Yuzu could say. Mei didn't say anything back, and at that point, all hope of have an afternoon snooze was lost. Yuzu decided that she would take a shower to refresh herself, and after thirty minutes of contemplating and reflecting in the shower about how her body was very close to Mei's in the futon, she got out of the shower. Upon stepping out the bathroom door, Yuzu saw that Mei was watching the news. The TV screen was focused on two news anchors, who were reporting miscellaneous information.

"It doesn't seem like the news here reports anything about what happened in Tokyo. That, or we already missed the information regarding that," Mei stated, turning off the TV and noticing that Yuzu was coming closer to her.

"I suppose I can look up the information on my phone," Yuzu said, picking up her device from the table and turning it on. After connecting to the wifi, Yuzu searched for any updates about the murder attempts and relevant information, and found an article that reported such. She tapped on the article on the screen and started to read to herself. As Yuzu continued to read the article, Mei noticed that her expression became that of irritation.

"So the police still don't have a lead, correct?" Mei presumed, receiving a nod from Yuzu.

"Apparently, the police have begun questioning workers and witnesses, but otherwise no new information was obtained." Yuzu plopped herself down onto the floor and held her knees together, wishing that the situation would just resolve itself quickly. "Do you happen to have any ideas on who could be behind this and why?"

"I don't have any clue about who could possibly be driven to wanting to kill me. I don't recall my family treating anyone badly either, so I don't know the motivation," Mei replied, getting up from her seat and deciding to place her clothes in the drawer. Yuzu decided to also join her in putting away her clothes, and after that was done, they sat around not knowing what to do.

"How long do you think we'll stay in this town?" Yuzu inquired, sitting on the floor and leaning back against her hands.

"I imagine maybe a few days to a couple weeks. I highly doubt we'll be stuck here for months," Mei replied, sitting back down on the chair and wishing she had a book to read.

"Well, that's good. I really don't want to stay here for a long time," Yuzu chuckled, while Mei looked at her nails in boredom. There was a bit of silence, as Yuzu didn't know what else to say for a conversation with Mei. Yuzu decided to text Matsuri that she and Mei had arrived safely and also reported the suspicious figure they saw earlier. Matsuri simply wished for their safety and for Yuzu to text her more often so she wouldn't have to worry. Yuzu turned off her phone, and she once again struggled to think of something to do in the overwhelming silence.

"How much money do we have left?" Mei asked suddenly, snapping Yuzu out of her thoughts. Yuzu quickly checked the wallet given by Matsuri.

"Not a lot left, to be honest," Yuzu replied. "Combined with the money on my phone, I think we only have enough for about two weeks, considering the daily charge for staying here, food, transportation if necessary, and for saving some extra money just in case.

"That could be a problem. In the event it takes over two weeks for us to be able to go back home, we'll eventually have spent all of our money and end up on the streets with no food or water. We'll have to figure something out about our financial situation immediately." Mei stroked her chin, wondering what they could do to save money.

"Well, while the housekeeper comes in to clean our room, we can probably find a place to work in," Yuzu suggested. "If we both manage to find a job, we can earn enough money to stay for longer than two weeks."

"You're right. The only problem is that if we find a job, we'll probably have to interact with many strangers, meaning that the risk of danger increases. In the end, it's probably more worth to get a job, considering if we end up homeless, we'll be in constant exposure to wondering eyes, plus we'll suffer from starvation and dehydration."

"All right! Where should we work?" Yuzu asked, sitting up straight and grinning in excitement at the idea of working together with Mei.

"Ideally, we'll be taking positions where we won't have to interact with customers or many people," Mei commented. "So if we decide to work in a restaurant or convenience store, we should avoid being the hostess, waitress, or cashier."

"Oh, I want to work in a restaurant or even a fast food place, if they have those here," Yuzu beamed, "I think I'll do just fine as a cook, since I have experience making food!"

"Okay, we can check for job openings later. We should also look to work in the same place during the same shift to watch each other's backs as well."

"Wait, why can't we go check now?" Yuzu asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'd rather we minimize our chances of getting spotted by unfriendly eyes and instead go outside when it gets darker. I'm also concerned that once we're outside, you'll be tempted to explore the town to go shopping," Mei said with a stern voice.

"Come on! The chances of that happening are very low! Plus, we'll come right back to our room after we find a job, I promise!" Yuzu pleaded with Mei, causing the latter to sigh.

"Fine, let's go outside and come back quickly." Mei stood up from her seat and got ready to leave, while Yuzu excitedly joined her by the front door. Together, they exited their room and walked onto the streets, eager to find a place to work in.

* * *

Since the town was relatively small, there were very few places for its citizens to spend money, and for these few shops, the teens and young adults living in the town had already claimed the most of the job positions. As such, Mei and Yuzu struggled to find a store or diner that was in need of more employees. Fortunately for them, after what seemed like forever, they found a small, cozy fast food restaurant that was in desperate need of workers. After asking Mei and Yuzu a few questions, mostly about if they knew basic food preparation and safety, the owner of the restaurant was quick to accept them into the business. Since Yuzu was very experienced in cooking, and since Mei had some knowledge on the subject, they were to become line cooks. Mei and Yuzu were told they could work with the lead cook and cashier starting the next day, and the two women left the restaurant satisfied.

"This is excellent! As the cooks, we can work in the kitchen and out of view of the customers and any bad guys!" Yuzu said cheerfully as they trekked towards their motel. "You know, despite how much I don't really like this town, I can't wait to start working with you!"

"Why is that?" Mei asked without looking at Yuzu.

"Well, it should be a very exciting experience, and I can probably teach you a few things about cooking!" Yuzu exclaimed, hiding the fact that at work, she can get the chance to get closer to Mei and hopefully actually become friends.

"I don't think I'll be needing any help from you," Mei replied, eliciting a frown and a sigh of defeat from Yuzu.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their room. By then, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange haze across the sky and onto the clouds. Since the last few hours of the day were rolling by, Mei and Yuzu decided to eat dinner. They both pulled out a sandwich from their bags and ate. They realized that they each had one sandwich left for breakfast, so they decided they would go shopping the next day. They also realized that they needed to buy more clothes, such as nightwear.

After eating in silence, Yuzu decided that she would shower first, even though she had already showered in the afternoon. She made sure to thoroughly wash her hair, and after she was done, Mei entered the bathroom. While Mei was busy washing her body, Yuzu decided to call Matsuri. She tapped on her contacts list on her phone, then tapped on Matsuri's number. She put the phone to her ear and waited patiently. Eventually, Matsuri picked up the phone, and Yuzu told her how in order to live comfortably for a long time in the old town, she and Mei found a new job at a fast food restaurant. Yuzu also asked if there was anything to report about the ongoing police investigation, but Matsuri said that no information was obtained.

By the time Yuzu finished her phone call with Matsuri, Mei finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom in her sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt. Since it was dark outside, Mei and Yuzu decided they would go to sleep. As Yuzu climbed onto the mattress, she noticed that Mei was taking her spot on the chair, and this annoyed Yuzu a little.

"Aihara-san, please sleep on the futon instead of the chair! It'll be much better for your back, and you'll also sleep much more comfortably!" Yuzu stated with firm eyes, while Mei contemplated if she would get much sleep laying next to the blonde. Sensing what Mei was thinking, Yuzu said, "I promise I won't move around or make weird noises while I'm asleep. Just please take the futon!"

"Strange how you're so persistent about wanting me to sleep with you," Mei commented, causing Yuzu to redden in the cheeks.

"It's just...it's just that I want the best for you, and it'll make me feel guilty and unhappy if I sleep comfortably while you sleep on the cold, hard chair," Yuzu said timidly, poking her index fingers together. Mei watched as Yuzu became more and more flushed and tense, and she felt something tingle within her.

"Fine. You better not disturb me during the night," Mei muttered, causing Yuzu to smile inwardly.

Mei turned off the lights and crawled next to Yuzu on the mattress. During and after when Mei was busy situating herself comfortably on the bed, Yuzu couldn't help but blush at the close contact between them.

"Goodnight, Aihara-san," Yuzu whispered to Mei. There was no response, causing Yuzu to feel a little hurt by Mei's silence. She then told herself to go to sleep instead of dwelling on something as minor as saying goodnight, and so she shut her eyes and waited for sleep to overcome her.

For some reason, Yuzu found it difficult to fall asleep. Even though her eyes were closed, and even though there weren't any disruptive noises to keep her awake, she still couldn't fall into a deep slumber. Yuzu opened her eyes, and as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness of the room, she turned her head to look at Mei, who was facing the ceiling with her eyes closed. There was something about the softness in Mei's expression, her soft breathing, and her smell that drew Yuzu in. Almost like two magnets drawing closer to each other, Yuzu suddenly found herself an inch away from Mei's face. Realizing just how close she was to Mei, Yuzu had to cover her own mouth in order to prevent herself from gasping.

 _Why am I this close to her face? And why can't I tear my eyes off of her?_

Yuzu found it difficult to revert back to her original position, for she was entranced by Mei's aura. Suddenly, Mei shifted onto her side and faced Yuzu's body, causing Yuzu to hold in her breath and pray that she hadn't disturbed her by accident. Fortunately for Yuzu, Mei remained silent with her eyes still closed. Whether she was asleep or still awake was a mystery, but Yuzu didn't want to risk bothering the raven-haired woman. Yuzu barely managed to pull herself away from Mei's face, and she smiled at how peaceful the woman next to her looked.

* * *

The brightness of the sunlight shone through the window, causing Mei to flutter her eyes open. Feeling pressure on her shoulder and arm, she turned to her side to see Yuzu sleeping comfortably on her. Once the image of Yuzu hugging her arm close to her chest, as well as the blonde's head laying on her shoulder clicked in, Mei's face reddened a great deal. The raven-haired woman felt her heart beat rapidly, and she didn't know if she should stay in this position and let Yuzu continue to be in such close proximity to her.

The angle of the sunlight shining through the window slowly grew larger as time went on. Eventually, because her arm started to feel numb in Yuzu's grasp, Mei decided that it was time to start the day. She gently grabbed Yuzu's arms with her free hand, then placed them on Yuzu's side of the bed. Mei then slipped her shoulder out from beneath Yuzu's head, then brushed Yuzu's messy hair away from her face. Afterwards, she went to the bathroom and got changed, then sat at the table and ate her breakfast.

Yuzu awoke to the sound of the TV playing. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Yuzu then focused her attention on the TV screen and saw that it was on the news station. Fortunately for Mei and Yuzu, the news just so happened to be reporting the incident in Tokyo, causing Yuzu to leave her futon and sit up closer to the TV and next to where Mei was sitting.

"...turns out that the police may have just found a lead," a reporter said, standing in front of Yuzu's apartment building. "Investigators were able to gain access to several security cameras, and luckily, the footage shows the suspects and the victims when they left the building..."

Yuzu's interest was peaked by the news, and she had a hopeful smile that they'd be able to return home safely. Mei still wore her stern expression, but she was also feeling hopeful about the situation.

"...the police are currently tracking down the suspects, and by arresting them, we'll hopefully gain more knowledge about the motivations behind the break ins. As for the victims, the police say they may have some knowledge about where they went directly after leaving the building. However, in order to protect them, the police refuse to give out any information regarding their whereabouts, and they say they do not plan to track them down just yet."

"Do you think they know we are residing here?" Yuzu asked with slight concern while facing Mei.

"It's possible, but they did say they only know where we went after leaving your apartment," Mei pointed out. "This means that as for now, even though they may know we went to that fountain, they may not know where we went in the taxi. Or if they someone tracked us down to your hometown, they probably don't know which train we went on or which stop we got off."

"So we are still safe from any faulty police officers…" Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's no guarantee, just saying," Mei added, causing Yuzu to slump onto the floor and groan. "How about instead of worrying about that, you eat some breakfast for now? We also need to prepare for work at noon, and we also need to buy more food and clothes."

"Oh, I nearly forgot about work!" Yuzu exclaimed, shooting up from the floor and rushing over to her bag to eat her sandwich. She hastily munched on the sandwich, causing Mei to look disgusted, and when she finished breakfast, Yuzu quickly went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and to change clothes. After leaving the bathroom, Yuzu glanced at the clock on the wall, which read that it was nearly ten in the morning. "Hey, do you know when our shift is?"

"Our boss told us to come from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. After our shift, we can probably go shopping for everything we need," Mei replied.

"Okay, when should we leave?" Yuzu asked as she sat down on the floor near Mei's seat.

"We can leave twenty minutes before our shift starts, since it takes about fifteen minutes to actually walk there," Mei answered, while Yuzu nodded her head in response.

Once the time had come, Mei and Yuzu exited their room and locked the door behind them. They walked through the relatively inactive streets, seeing only a few cars, a few elderly citizens, and several groups of teenagers pass by. After walking past the line of stores and restaurants, they arrived at their destination. They entered the rather bland looking building, and they walked past the tables and into the kitchen. They greeted their coworkers, and after putting on their aprons, they were prepared for work.

An hour had passed by, and the first customer came in. During the period between Mei and Yuzu's arrival, and the arrival of the customer, the lead cook told the two women how to prepare various kinds of orders. Since there was only one customer now, who ordered a burger, the lead cook and Yuzu wanted to see Mei prepare the meal, instead of using the normal assembly line process. Mei reluctantly agreed to cook while everyone else watched, and while Mei set out to cook the beef patty and such, Yuzu giggled after seeing that Mei wasn't the most confident and skilled when it came to cooking. For instance, Mei oftentimes had to think to herself the recipe for the burger, and she'd often walk to one place in the kitchen to realize that she didn't need to be there. Mei would also forget certain steps in the recipe, even after recounting them.

"Would you like some help?" Yuzu offered with a grin, seeing that Mei was having some trouble.

Mei didn't want to give Yuzu the satisfaction of helping her, but she also realized that she had taken up a lot of time and was probably making the customer wait for too long. For now, as difficult as it was, she cast aside her pride and conceded.

"Yes, please," Mei muttered, and Yuzu happily showed her what to do, from putting the buns in the toaster and heating the patty to adding the lettuce and some sauce. Once the burger was ready, it was sent out to the customer, who ate quietly at the corner of the restaurant.

"Think you got it now?" Yuzu said with a smile, while Mei sighed and looked away from her.

"Yes. Thank you for teaching me," she said in a barely audible voice, mostly because of another battle of pride.

"What was that?" Yuzu asked with a grin, causing Mei to groan.

"Yes. Thank you for teaching me," Mei groaned in a louder voice, causing Yuzu to chuckle.

"Aww, no need to feel embarrassed! You can be sure that your culinary teacher will assist you with anything you need!" Yuzu teased as she hugged Mei from behind.

"Hey, cut it out! I'm not embarrassed!" Mei snapped out.

"Sorry, you're just so cute when you are like that!" Yuzu giggled, causing Mei to blush. As Yuzu tried to talk to Mei, the latter simply looked away from her and remained quiet. Realizing that Mei was giving her the cold shoulder, Yuzu lay a hand on Mei's shoulder to get her to look at her. "Aww, come on! I'm sorry for how I've been treating you! Will you please forgive me?"

Mei glared at Yuzu for a brief second before crossing her arms and turning away from her. Yuzu let out an awkward chuckle, while their coworker in the kitchen simply laughed at their exchange.

As the hours flew by, more and more customers showed up for lunch. Since the restaurant was getting slightly busy, the three cooks started the assembly line, with Mei handling the buns, Yuzu handling the add ons, and the last cook to handle the meat. During the process, Yuzu would occasionally glance at Mei to see that she still wore her agitated look. The blonde grew concerned that she may have pushed her too far, so Yuzu could only hope that Mei would quickly give up the stone-cold persona.

Eventually, Mei and Yuzu's shift ended. After saying goodbye to their coworkers and leaving the restaurant, Yuzu decided that it was time for them to go shopping. They wandered through the streets, hoping to find a store that would suit their needs. Mei and Yuzu eventually stumbled upon a small bakery, and Yuzu, who was interested in getting food other than sandwiches for breakfast, entered the store. Mei followed behind as Yuzu walked up to the glass casings, gazing at the various pastries. The pastries looked incredibly delicious and authentic, and Yuzu thought that if she continued to look at the food, she would start to drool uncontrollably.

"Aihara-san! What would you like to eat from here? We can make these our breakfast!" Yuzu asked, hoping that Mei would at least respond to her for this. However, Mei refused to look at the products or the blonde, instead choosing to stand to the side and look around at the walls. Yuzu sighed and looked back at the array of pastries, worrying that she may end up buying food that Mei disliked. She decided to go with scones and a pound cake, and after paying, they left the bakery.

Next, they went into a supermarket, where Yuzu planned to get water and food for lunch and dinner. Mei followed a few steps behind as Yuzu pushed a shopping cart through the aisles. Yuzu wanted to buy some stuffed buns and various other products, but they all required some heating or boiled water, all of which they didn't have access to at their motel. Yuzu decided that they would once again purchase premade sandwiches, and after placing a few sandwiches and water bottles into the shopping cart, she checked them out, and they left.

Lastly, Yuzu and Mei looked around for a clothing store. They entered a women's fashion store, and they looked around at the articles of clothing. Knowing that it was pointless to ask Mei what clothes she wanted to buy, Yuzu simply told her to look around the building and pick out the clothes she wanted to buy. They split up in search of clothes, and after about twenty minutes, Mei met up with Yuzu at the check out section with some clothes. After paying for the shirts, pants, and undergarments, they left.

Yuzu carried most of the shopping bags to their room, with Mei only offering to carry two bags. Yuzu set the bags on the table and placed the food in the refrigerator, while Mei put away their new clothes. They hadn't uttered a word to each other in awhile, and because the silence was beginning to overwhelm Yuzu, she tried to think about something to talk about in hopes that Mei would respond to her.

"So, what do you think about our first day at work?" Yuzu asked with a hopeful smile, but Mei avoided eye contact with her and looked uninterested. Yuzu's smile faltered a bit, but she still tried to talk to her. "Our coworkers were pretty nice, weren't they? I think we can get along with them in the future. What do you think?"

Mei briefly looked at Yuzu from the corner of her eyes before looking away again. Yuzu was once again met with silence, and at this point, she was desperate for Mei to acknowledge her.

"Aihara-san, I apologize if I upset you in any way. If this is about how I had been teasing you at work, I want to say that I am genuinely sorry," Yuzu said while fumbling with her hands nervously.

Mei finally looked Yuzu in the eyes, asking, "Do you promise you'll behave yourself from now on?"

"Yes, I promise," Yuzu replied with a nod. Mei remained silent, causing Yuzu to look worried. Eventually, Mei decided that Yuzu's apology was good for now.

"Fine, I forgive you," Mei said, causing Yuzu to beam with happiness. Yuzu wanted to hug Mei as thanks, but realized that the raven-haired woman probably would not appreciate the gesture and would end up giving her the cold shoulder again.

Yuzu proceeded to ask Mei the same questions from earlier, with Mei saying that she didn't have any opinions about work or their coworkers. A couple hours later, when it was past nightfall, Mei and Yuzu ate dinner together. They showered in turns, and after calling Matsuri to check up on each other, they decided that it was time to go to sleep. Fortunately for Yuzu, she didn't have to convince Mei to sleep on the futon, for she was already situating herself under the covers. Yuzu turned off the lights, and she joined Mei under the covers.

"Goodnight, Aihara-san," Yuzu whispered.

"Goodnight," Mei responded, much to Yuzu's surprise. Yuzu nearly forgot to breathe out of astonishment, and she felt as if her ears were lying to her. However, Mei's words were crystal clear, and Yuzu's lips curved into a toothy grin.

 _Wow...she actually said "goodnight" to me for once! Granted, she still hasn't said my name yet, but damn do I feel happy!_

Yuzu couldn't help but smile wholeheartedly as she placed her hands on her chest. Her entire body felt warm and fuzzy, and knowing that Mei was laying next to her was sheer bliss. Yuzu stared up at the ceiling, thinking that, despite her earlier concerns about life in this town, today had turned out to be quite a wonderful day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for the favorites, follows, and reviews! I can't express enough how much your support means to me!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

During the past two weeks, Mei and Yuzu had been slowly becoming adapted to and content with their new life. In the mornings, they'd eat their scones and a slice of pound cake, in the afternoon, they'd work for several hours with a small break to eat their lunch, then they'd return back to their motel and wait until it was time to eat dinner, shower, and sleep. They had also received their weekly payments in cash, so not only would they use some of their money to shop if they were low on food, but they'd also use the money to wash their clothes in a local laundromat. Additionally, because of Mei's inexperience with the knife, she'd sometimes cut herself by accident during work, so they also had to buy a first aid kit.

Recently, the news stated that the two assailants who broke into Yuzu's apartment were detained. While the news of their arrest pleased Mei and Yuzu, they were also left unsatisfied when the reporters stated that the police were unable to obtain answers after the interrogations. As a result, Mei and Yuzu agreed that it was still better for the both of them to remain in the old town and to continue working for money.

Everyday at work, while Mei was usually silent and simply focused on cooking and getting used to the work environment, Yuzu would cheerfully try to engage in conversations with her, asking if she needed any help. Whenever this would happen, Mei would always turn down Yuzu's assistance, saying that she now knew what to do. This became their routine, and life seemed to be going just fine...at least for awhile for Mei. Lately, while she was either cooking or cleaning the countertops, she'd always notice how her other coworker in the kitchen would sneak glances at Yuzu. Mei would then look towards Yuzu to see if she was aware, but she seemed completely oblivious to the glances. Mei didn't know why, but she'd always feel threatened and alert whenever the other cook looked at Yuzu.

Today, Mei and Yuzu entered the restaurant for their shift. After putting on their aprons and settling in, they waited for the first customer. While Yuzu tried to include Mei in a conversation with the lead cook, Mei just simply stared at the man, analyzing his behavior and facial expressions. Mei couldn't make anything out of him, but something about him just kept gnawing at her.

The first few customers came in. While the cashier was busy taking orders, the three cooks would be busy preparing the various kinds of meals. As Mei was busy handling the buns, fries, and various other orders, she glanced at the lead cook to see that he was once again sneaking looks at Yuzu. Feeling restless, Mei decided that she would confront him later on when she got the chance.

It wasn't until around 2 p.m. when the number of visiting customers decreased. Since she wasn't busy at the moment, and deciding it was finally time for the confrontation, Mei began walking in the lead cook's direction. However, the man had already started a conversation with Yuzu, and before she could step in and have a word with him, Mei noticed his hands sliding towards his pocket. Fear started to set in, and Mei could only watch as the man, who stood a foot away from Yuzu, reached into his pocket for something.

"Do you think we can exchange phone numbers?" Mei heard the man ask timidly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him take out a pen and a notepad.

"Sure thing!" Yuzu replied exuberantly as she accepted a note with his number, then took the pen and wrote down her own number on his notepad.

Mei's heart began to slow down into a normal pace. She had originally suspected that her coworker was hostile, but thankfully, he seemed friendly and harmless. Seeing that she no longer had to question the man, she proceeded to clean the countertops with a towel, and she occasionally drank some water from a bottle she had brought.

A few more customers arrived as time went on, and when it was 3 p.m., Mei and Yuzu said their goodbyes before leaving the restaurant. Shortly after arriving at their room, Yuzu received a few text messages from their coworker. While Yuzu enthusiastically messaged her coworker - how she felt about work, plans for the future, and many other things - Mei was finally able to enjoy the silence and peace of the room, as Yuzu would normally try to talk to her and end up agitating her.

Throughout the rest of the day, while Mei kept herself busy watching the TV, Yuzu texted away on her phone. Eventually, when it was time for dinner, Mei and Yuzu kneeled down by the table and ate. For the most part, they ate in silence, but when Yuzu's phone lit up, the blonde halted her eating and took the call. It was her coworker, and they chatted straight away.

Mei glanced at Yuzu and felt something strange deep within herself. Yuzu had been talking on the phone for about five minutes so far, and even though Mei had originally liked being left alone to be with her thoughts, something was nagging her. Soon enough, Mei unconsciously slowed down on her eating as she tried to pinpoint why she felt so distressed and confused.

"Aihara-san, is there something wrong?" Yuzu asked, snapping Mei out of her thoughts. Mei noticed that Yuzu was finished with her phone call. "You weren't eating, and you had a troubled look on your face."

"I...I'm fine," was all Mei said. Yuzu knew that wasn't the case, but she didn't want to pry into Mei's life and end up bothering her. They continued eating, and after finishing, they took turns in the shower.

Standing still under the rush of the warm water, Mei reflected on what had happened at dinner. From that brief exchange with Yuzu, Mei had suddenly felt better, though she didn't completely understand why. The only logical idea Mei could think of was that she had become too accustomed to Yuzu's constant blabbering to the point that once Yuzu stopped giving her attention, Mei felt different and anxious. Bothered by this idea, Mei clenched her fists and tried to convince herself that there was no way Yuzu could have this influence on her. As Mei constantly told herself that, she finished showering and changed into her nightwear. She left the bathroom to see Yuzu look towards her with a smile. Not wanting to believe that her restlessness was due to Yuzu, Mei looked away from her and headed towards the futon.

"Aihara-san, what's wrong?" Yuzu asked with a concerned look, watching as Mei got under the covers and faced away from her.

"Nothing," Mei grunted, though Yuzu knew that was a lie.

"Aihara-san, if there is anything that's bothering you, I want you to tell me," Yuzu asked with a soft voice, but Mei refused to tell her. Knowing that it was hopeless to keep pestering Mei, Yuzu turned off the lights and settled in next to Mei on the mattress. Yuzu turned her head to look at Mei's backside, then whispered, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Mei replied back, and Yuzu felt somewhat relieved that Mei was at least talking to her instead of remaining silent and ignoring her. As Yuzu turned her head to look back up at the ceiling, Mei had her eyes open and stared at the wall next to her. The raven-haired woman couldn't get Yuzu out of her head, as she can only think about how enthusiastic Yuzu was while texting and when she was talking on the phone. Becoming more and more agitated, Mei growled to herself since these pestering thoughts refused to leave her mind.

Yuzu turned her head towards Mei again upon hearing her growl, but because Mei didn't make any more noises, Yuzu simply closed her eyes and tried to sleep. In the back of her mind, Yuzu couldn't help but feel slightly concerned about Mei, for she noticed that Mei looked depressed for most of the day. Yuzu simply prayed that Mei would feel better in the morning, and she eventually drifted into her slumber. Unfortunately for Mei, since her emotions were giving her a headache, it took her a much longer amount of time to fall asleep.

* * *

Yuzu looked at Mei with worry as they walked on the streets toward work. She had thought that whatever was bothering Mei would have disappeared in the morning, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Uneasiness and confusion were written all over Mei's face, and even though Yuzu tried to talk to her about it, Mei would deny that anything was wrong. Sighing in defeat, Yuzu walked in silence, wishing that Mei would eventually talk to her about it instead of keeping her problems to herself.

Inside the restaurant, Mei and Yuzu walked into the kitchen and greeted their coworkers. After settling in, they waited for the first customers of the day. To keep herself busy, Mei took a clean wet towel and wiped the countertops and tools, even if they were already clean. Wanting to get closer to Mei, Yuzu decided that she would help her out, so she got her own towel and started cleaning with Mei. Mei gave Yuzu a weird look after noticing that Yuzu was inching closer and closer to her as she wiped the surface of several equipments, and Yuzu simply gave her a grin. Mei focused her attention back on cleaning, while Yuzu silently thanked her for not telling her off.

Later on, since they had nothing to do, the lead cook struck a conversation with Yuzu. While they tried to include Mei in their discussion, the silent woman declined. She stood awkwardly to the side while looking at her nails, and Yuzu chatted away with the other coworker. Yuzu would occasionally glance at Mei to see if she was alright, but she couldn't read her expressions.

Mei walked over to a nearby counter and rested her head on her elbows that were on the table. While it looked like Mei was just minding her own business, she was listening to every detail of her two coworker's conversation, and as she heard constant giggling and the cheerfulness in their voices, Mei couldn't help but feel upset and a sense of betrayal. She knew that Yuzu wasn't obligated to talk to, care about, or have anything to do with her, yet she felt emptiness as Yuzu continued to converse with another person. Mei unconsciously clenched her fists and her teeth, and she felt her heartbeat quicken in response. She rarely felt this way, but for some reason, it felt just right to behave like this.

The sound of laughter caught Mei's attention, and she turned to look towards the source of the sound. She was met with the sight of Yuzu and the lead cook laughing together, and the instant she saw him wrap an arm around her shoulder, Mei panicked at the thought that he was about to hurt or possibly kill Yuzu. However, that wasn't the case, as he was simply patting her and laughing with her, and Mei felt her anxiety fading away before being replaced by anger. The way they enthusiastically interacted with each other aggravated Mei, and feeling as if she could no longer stomach looking at the two of them, Mei excused herself to use the restroom. She ignored the worried eyes of Yuzu as she made her way past her, and she shut and locked the bathroom door behind herself. Sitting on the lidded toilet seat, Mei took the time to control her breathing, and after about two minutes of deep breathing, she felt her heart rate slow down. When she felt that she had calmed down, Mei stood up from the toilet and walked over to the sink, where she splashed water on her face. Feeling refreshed, Mei left the restroom and went back to her station.

"Aihara-san, is everything alright?" Yuzu asked as Mei made her way back to the kitchen.

"Yes. I only needed to relieve myself, that's all," Mei replied, causing Yuzu to raise an eyebrow.

"Okay, then...I guess I'll just leave you be…" Yuzu said hesitantly, not sure why Mei was acting so strangely lately.

For the rest of their shift, Mei and Yuzu felt an unbearable tension between one another. While the latter would try to start conversations, Mei would give short and simple answers or statements to end the conversation then and there. Knowing that it was hopeless to try to speak to Mei, Yuzu would work silently unless being spoken to by the other cook in the kitchen, which would happen every now and then.

When it was 3 p.m., Mei and Yuzu hung up their aprons and took their water bottles with them. Before they could leave, their acquaintance stopped them, asking for Yuzu to wait for a moment. Curious about what he wanted, Yuzu and Mei stood still and waited for him to collect his thoughts.

"Um...Okogi-san, would you...would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?" he timidly asked, causing Yuzu and Mei to widen their eyes in surprise. As Yuzu tried to process what was happening, something snapped inside Mei; almost as if on autopilot, Mei grabbed Yuzu's arm and led her out of the restaurant, leaving the lead cook dumbfounded. Outside, Mei continued to drag a complaining Yuzu away from the building and through the streets, weaving in between the few pedestrians here and there. Frustrated by how Mei was acting, as well as how she refused to tell her what was going on, Yuzu broke free from her grasp.

"What the heck are you doing? Why did you suddenly pull me away like that?" Yuzu asked with a raised voice, but Mei remained silent as she was at a loss for words. "First, you act all distant and depressed, refusing to let me help you, and now here you are, ignoring me once again while rudely interrupting a conversation!"

"I...I…" Mei felt her rage beginning to dissipate along with her resolve. She herself didn't know why she had suddenly acted aggressively, and now that Yuzu was confronting her about her behavior, Mei was speechless and felt a sense of guilt.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Yuzu asked with her hands on her hips. Unable to find her own reasons, Mei avoided eye contact with her and looked at the ground. Seeing that Mei wasn't responding, Yuzu sighed and walked away of her towards the motel, leaving the raven-haired woman behind to drown in her thoughts.

Mei found herself unable to move a single muscle within her body. The shame was too great for her to bear, and she ended up losing track of time because of how excruciating her feelings were. After some time standing still on the walkway, with some passing citizens giving her strange looks, Mei managed to move her limbs and slowly trudged her way back to the motel, never tearing her eyes off the ground. Once she arrived at her room, Mei noticed that Yuzu was on her phone with a serious face, and when they looked at each other's eyes, Yuzu exhaled loudly and set down her phone.

"I told him that I agreed to join him for tomorrow," the blonde said. "It's just a friendly little dinner that's going to take place nearby, and I promise I won't take long, if that's what you're worried about."

Mei looked like she wanted to say something, but then gave up. She sat down on the floor facing away from Yuzu, and she looked down at her lap in silence. Yuzu leaned her body toward the side so she could somewhat see Mei's face, and after observing how troubled she looked, Yuzu couldn't help but feel a little empathetic towards her.

"You know...the dinner invitation probably wasn't directed towards me alone…" Yuzu said, but Mei still looked away from her, "...he probably also meant for you to join us, so that means you won't be alone for dinner!"

Despite how hopeful Yuzu seemed, Mei still had a perturbed look on her face. Eating alone was the least of her worries, since she usually liked the peace and quiet of being by herself. The problem she had, however, was something she didn't quite fully grasp. While it seemed promising to dine with Yuzu in a place outside of the boring motel room, Mei also didn't want to eat with their coworker, who was hosting. She didn't know why she felt such contempt towards her coworker, and she also didn't know why she felt hatred and displeasure knowing that he and Yuzu were getting along.

"I"ll have to decline. I'd rather eat by myself for tomorrow," Mei said quietly.

Upon hearing her response, the hopeful expression on Yuzu's face turned into that of frustration, and the blonde growled loudly in annoyance. Displeased by Mei's answer, Yuzu picked up her change of clothes and headed for the bathroom to confine herself in. After slamming the bathroom door shut, Yuzu sat down on the lidded toilet seat and made fists with her hands. Feeling incredibly antsy, the blonde gripped onto her shirt with both hands and started to pull it in opposite directions, nearly causing it to rip. Grunting profusely, Yuzu stood up from the toilet seat and took off her clothes, then stepped into the shower. She turned on the flow of the water, and she furiously scrubbed her hair and body.

 _Stupid! Absolutely ridiculous! You don't make any sense! Why are you so secretive and avoidant? Why won't you tell me what's going on instead of being the stubborn person you are?!_

Outside the bathroom, Mei could hear the sounds of frustration resonating. Deciding that she wasn't in the mood to stay up, Mei set up the futon and lay down on the very edge of her side. She faced the wall so she wouldn't be able to see Yuzu's agonizing expressions after she was finished with her shower, and Mei tried to force herself to fall asleep.

After about twenty more minutes, Yuzu stepped out the bathroom door. She noticed that Mei was already tucked into bed, and after she realized that Mei was skipping her shower, Yuzu felt a bit concerned about her. Yuzu's anger slowly started to fade away, but since a part of her was still frustrated with Mei, she turned off the lights, lay down on the very edge of her side of the bed with her backside facing Mei's, and decided not to wish her "goodnight." Meanwhile, Mei, who was still awake and had her eyes wide open, waited for Yuzu to say those exact words like always, but after realizing that tonight was going to be a wordless night, Mei felt even more despondent. And so, both women tried their hardest to fall asleep, but it didn't come very easily.

* * *

Mei and Yuzu had the day off from work today, and even though they should be enthusiastic about finally taking a break from work, there was a cloud of dread that surrounded them. Yuzu had managed to calm herself down and mentally forgave Mei for her stubbornness, but Mei, who struggled to deal with her own mental state, still wore a dejected look. Breakfast was eerily silent, and when it was time for lunch, Yuzu decided that she would be the one to break the tension.

"Aihara-san, I was thinking...it's probably for the best if I cancelled the dinner invitation and instead give you some company for tonight," Yuzu said, causing Mei's interest to peak. "You see...I'm really worried about you, and I really don't want you to feel left out or depressed."

"Th-thank you for your concerns, but...but are you sure you want to skip out on dinner with your friend?" Mei asked quietly.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure. I consider you my friend, and I don't want you to feel bad," Yuzu said with a sincere smile.

Mei was speechless after hearing Yuzu's last statement. Coupled with how genuine Yuzu seemed about caring for her, Mei couldn't help but feel a tug on her lips as they begged to curve into a smile. Instead, Mei's stern expression softened, and after brushing her hair behind her ear in timidness, Mei shook her head no.

"Thank you for your consideration. While I am thankful for how much you care about me, I also don't want to hold you back from being with your other friend for dinner," Mei said sincerely, causing Yuzu to look surprised.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you're fine with just eating by yourself tonight?" Yuzu asked.

"Yes. I'd feel guilty if I caused you to cancel your dinner," Mei replied, though unbeknownst to Yuzu, she felt very conflicted about the dinner plans and how Yuzu was going to be with someone else.

"If you're absolutely sure, then okay. I promise I'll try not to take too long eating, and I promise to try to come back to you as soon as possible," Yuzu said, while Mei was silently hoping that Yuzu would stay true to her word.

* * *

As the hours wasted away, with Mei and Yuzu watching the TV or engaging in small conversations, the light of the afternoon faded away into the darkness of the evening. Checking the time on her phone, Yuzu realized that it was time for her to leave, and so she got her wallet and prepared to leave. Before she exited the room, she looked back at Mei, who wore a somewhat worried expression, and Yuzu patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. I won't be long." Yuzu smiled, and Mei nodded her head in silence. They waved goodbye to each other, and when Yuzu left the motel and was out of sight, Mei closed the front door. The moment she shut the door, Mei felt a wave of concern and anxiety surge within her body, and after trying to ignore these emotions for a few minutes in the room, she felt she had enough. Unable to help herself, Mei turned off the lights, opened the front door, exited the building, then made her way down to the streets.

Mei wandered through the darkness as she tried to find Yuzu. Walking beneath a few light posts and past a few parked cars, she knew that she had taken too long to start following Yuzu to the restaurant, so Mei tried her hardest to remember if the blonde had mentioned the location or name. Sitting down on a nearby bench, Mei closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as she attempted to recall their past conversations, but a minute of reflecting turned into anguish. Mei groaned in frustration, for all she could recall was Yuzu saying that the restaurant was very close by. In the end, because of how desperate Mei was to see Yuzu, she decided to just scan the immediate vicinity, so she stood up from the bench and started wandering around.

Approaching the window of a small cafe, Mei tried to look inside as discreetly as possible to avoid being mistaken for a troublemaker, but after she scanned the few faces in the building, she sighed in disappointment. Realizing that Yuzu wasn't here, she moved onto the next possible location. Next, Mei neared a bar, but since the blonde didn't seem the type to drink, as well as how the place didn't seem to serve any food, she crossed out the bar from her list. For the next five minutes, Mei scoured the nearby buildings for Yuzu's face, but each and every time she peered inside a building, she couldn't find her.

"Where are you?" Mei wondered aloud, feeling herself boil in dissatisfaction. The only logical idea now was that she had to expand the search radius, so she walked further away from the motel in hopes that she would eventually find Yuzu.

Straying further down the walkway, Mei walked past several apartments, clothing stores, and a police station. As she continued to walk, Mei feared that she was taking too long to check up on Yuzu and her coworker, so she picked up her pace and jogged in search of more diners and cafes. Eventually, she neared a small restaurant with a noodle sign hanging above the doorway, and when she peered inside the building, her eyes widened as she laid eyes on the face she had been looking for. Wasting no time, Mei entered the building. She was immediately greeted by the host, and when asked to follow him to her table, Mei prayed she would be seated just close enough where she can keep an eye on her, but hidden so Yuzu wouldn't be able to notice her. Fortunately for Mei, she was seated in a two-seater a few tables away from Yuzu and her coworker, with Mei being able to hide behind the customers seated between them.

Mei brought the menu to her face, covering herself except for her eyes so she can observe Yuzu's expressions and her actions. Squinting her eyes as she looked past the customers in front of her, Mei saw how jovial Yuzu looked laughing and grinning with the lead cook. Once again, her feelings of anger and confusion resurfaced, and the longer Mei watched them dine together, the more she became upset.

"Hello, may I start you off with a drink?" a waiter asked, snapping Mei's attention.

"Uh, I'd like some water," Mei replied as she tried to sneak glances at Yuzu.

"Very well. Do you still need time to look over the menu?" the waiter asked.

"Yes please," Mei replied, and the waiter left her table to fetch her a glass of water. Mei immediately focused her attention back on Yuzu's table, and when she saw how Yuzu's friend was attempting to feed the blonde his noodles, a spark of outrage awakened within Mei. Barely holding back a growl, Mei continued to watch as her hands started to shake uncontrollably. Without realizing, because her hands were still holding onto the menu, an obnoxious rattling sound was emitted as the menu constantly hit the wooden table.

"Hey, could you please stop making that noise?" a few nearby customers asked, but their complaints fell on deaf ears. Fortunately for Mei, she was just far enough from Yuzu to not grab her attention with the rattling.

The waiter returned with Mei's water, causing the raven-haired woman to tear her eyes away from Yuzu. Mei was asked if she had decided on something to eat, and Mei randomly chose an item from the menu, as her dinner was the least of her worries. The waiter left after collecting the menu, and Mei resumed watch over Yuzu. Mei noticed how the man was still attempting to feed Yuzu, but Yuzu waved his offer off with her hand, causing Mei to barely hold back a grin.

After a minute had passed, Mei noticed that Yuzu and her friend were finished eating and were waiting for the waiter to clean up their table and bring them the check. As Mei continued to watch over them, another man hobbled over to Mei's table and sat down across from her. Mei gave the man a confused look, but he stared back at her with a toothy grin while his upper body wobbled from side to side. Realizing that the man was under the influence, Mei cleared her throat and looked the drunkard straight in the eye.

"Excuse me, this table is taken. Please find another seat," Mei stated, while the man chuckled and tried to control his balance.

"Hey, you look like…like you need a good time. What say you come with me to this bar nearby and get a few drinks, then we can go to my place?" the man said drunkenly.

"No thanks. Please leave me alone," Mei said sternly, but the man remained seated.

"Come on! We'll have a hell of a time! I promise!" the man said as he burped loudly.

"No. Please leave," Mei repeated herself, feeling more and more agitated by his stubbornness.

"Yo, please reconsider! You're missing out on…"

As Mei stared in boredom and annoyance at the persistent man, her eyes were suddenly drawn to something on his waist as he stretched his arms over his head, causing his shirt to lift up a little. Hanging on his waistband was a sharp, glistening object, and as the sudden realization hit Mei, her eyes widened in panic. The man sitting across from her noticed her gaze, and he suddenly lunged across the table with his hand reaching for his knife. Mei was barely able to catch his swinging hand, with the knife a mere inch away from her face, and she tried to push back the hostile man with all her strength. Unable to plunge the knife into Mei, the thug grabbed onto Mei's hand that was holding him back with his free hand, then tightened his grip in an attempt to make Mei let go. Mei screamed in agony, and as the death grip tightened with every passing second, she felt her strength quickly diminishing.

A punch was thrown at the criminal, and several nearby customers held back the thug and secured the knife. The customers pushed the thug onto the ground, separating him from Mei, and they managed to hold him down on the ground.

Mei felt someone grab her wrist and pull her away from the table and out the door. Feeling her senses coming back to her after somewhat recovering from the trauma, Mei realized it was Yuzu who was pulling and leading her.

"Come on! Let's quickly get back to our room and grab our things so we can get out of this town," Yuzu shouted. Mei barely nodded her head in response, and together, they ran in the darkness without stopping to catch their breath. In record time, they approached their room and stuffed as many things as they could in their bags, and soon enough, they were sprinting out of their room onto the streets.

Mei and Yuzu didn't have a clue about where to go from here, so they just decided to keep running in a single direction. In sweat and tears, they ran through the town, and when they approached the outskirts, they saw the many trees out in the distance that were illuminated under the light of the moon. Without wasting a second, Mei and Yuzu sprinted through a vast field of grass towards the trees, praying that they would find safety within the forest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all once again for your support! Also, I'm feeling pretty sad that the manga is ending, but at least there's that spin off/sequel that's coming out later!**

 **Edit: I just wanted to thank TJ for pointing out several things I could improve upon. As such, I've changed and added several things. List of added/changed things will be at the bottom of the chapter to avoid spoilers for those who haven't read the original version.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Yuzu fluttered her eyes open and shielded herself from the sunlight that shimmered through the leaves and branches of trees. Looking up into the pale blue sky, Yuzu could see that it was a cloudless morning with a flock of geese flying overhead. She could also hear the calming murmurs of cicadas in the gentle breeze that caused the leaves to rustle.

Sitting up straight on a patch of grass she had been sleeping on, Yuzu looked to her side to see Mei, who was still asleep with her head resting on her bag. Last night, they had been sprinting through the forest in search of shelter, and once the moon had hit its peak in the sky, Mei and Yuzu stumbled upon a large lake surrounded by bushes and trees. They had decided that they had run far enough, and they agreed to camp next to the body of water for the night, even though they lacked sleeping bags.

Yuzu thought back to the events of the previous day. She was puzzled as to why Mei was acting so strangely yesterday, and she was especially perplexed about why the raven-haired woman had ended up following her to that restaurant. Pondering about the reasons to her questions, Yuzu hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her palm.

 _Yesterday, you told me you were feeling just fine, but that clearly wasn't the case. Going as far as keeping an eye on me during dinner must've meant something. Were you simply worried for me? Were you making sure I wasn't doing anything crazy?_

Yuzu sighed as many questions popped up in her head.

 _Yesterday, you pulled me away after I was asked for a friendly dinner. Even when I asked you why, you couldn't respond to me. We've been living together everyday for the past few weeks, so if you simply weren't used to the idea of being separated, then I can understand why you acted the way you did._

For some reason, Yuzu wasn't completely satisfied with this idea. She felt there was something more to this, and suddenly, everything clicked inside Yuzu's brain.

 _Mei...were you perhaps scared of...being alone? Were you afraid that I'd leave you behind? Were you also afraid that we had become too comfortable and used to living safely to the point that being separated from each other brought back certain fears?_

Yuzu buried her face in her palms, cursing herself for not realizing this earlier. In a sense, she had failed Mei, and Yuzu couldn't forgive herself for that. Perhaps if she had paid more attention, she wouldn't have risked their safety of being out in public for dinner, and they surely wouldn't be in this mess. Feelings of guilt and regret started to overwhelm Yuzu, and she tried to think of something to distract herself from these pessimistic thoughts.

Yuzu looked over her arms, legs, and clothes, and she realized that she was covered in dirt after presumably tossing and turning in her sleep. Deciding that she should wash herself in the lake while also being able to distract herself, Yuzu walked closer to the body of water and started stripping. Since Mei was still asleep, Yuzu wasn't too worried about stripping naked, and once she hung her clothes on a nearby branch, she stepped into the water. Yuzu jerked her foot away and shuddered at how cold the temperature was. Trying to ignore the freezing temperature, Yuzu stepped deeper and deeper into the water, and when she was waist-deep in the lake, she had already grown accustomed to the cold. Unlike the sweating and humidity she felt the previous day when she was running for her life, Yuzu enjoyed the soothing and revitalizing sensations of the water so much that she didn't want to leave the lake. She ended up losing track of time, and so she forgot about her plan to quickly dry up and get dressed before Mei could wake up and see her in this vulnerable state.

Yuzu heard the sound of someone stepping into the water, so she turned around and saw a bare Mei walking into the lake and closer to her. Yuzu immediately became flushed after seeing Mei's naked body, and she subconsciously covered her own breasts and lower region with her arms and hands.

"Ai-Ai-Aihara-san! What are you d-doing?!" Yuzu stammered, feeling completely embarrassed about how they were seeing each other nude.

"I...I just want to clean myself up," Mei said with a barely audible voice, walking closer and stopping a few feet away from Yuzu. Mei looked away shyly from Yuzu, and Yuzu couldn't help but stare at how adorable the raven-haired woman looked acting timidly. Unconsciously drifting her eyes lower, Yuzu soaked in the picture of Mei's smooth legs, her slim waist, and more specifically, her breasts. Almost as if in a trance, Yuzu lost awareness of her surroundings as she could only stare at Mei. Upon realizing what she was doing, Yuzu swiftly turned around so her back was facing Mei.

 _What the heck am I doing? Why am I staring at her like that? And why doesn't she feel weird about this? Crap, I can't get her body out of my head! I need to get out of here!_

"I-I think I'm done washing myself! I'm going to get out now!" Yuzu suddenly exclaimed as she trudged through the water and onto the soil of the land, leaving behind a confused and somewhat distressed Mei.

Yuzu hurriedly took her clothes from the tree branch and brought them over to her bag. She stuffed her dirty clothes into the bag, and, while ignoring how her body was still wet, Yuzu changed into clean clothes. By the time she finished changing, Yuzu noticed that Mei was walking out of the lake towards her own bag, and after the raven-haired woman also changed into cleaner clothes, Mei stood shyly beside her.

"That was quick. You've already finished washing yourself?" Yuzu asked as she tried to compose herself and forget out how Mei tried to bathe with her.

"Yeah, I'm done," Mei said quietly as she timidly held her own arm.

Yuzu wasn't exactly sure why Mei was acting bashful. She had expected Mei to be a little more distant considering the circumstances, but Mei was acting the exact opposite.

"Is everything...alright?" Yuzu asked, trying to gain insight on why Mei was behaving this way.

"Y-yeah. Everything is fine," Mei replied, struggling to keep eye contact with Yuzu.

"Okay...then, uh, how about we eat some breakfast for now?" Yuzu suggested, thinking that she could ease Mei into talking to her. Mei nodded in response, and the two sat down on the grass and dug through their bags. They each pulled out a scone from their bags, and after unwrapping the plastic around the scones, they ate.

Yuzu looked towards Mei, who was looking down at the ground while eating. At first, Yuzu tried to think of something to say to spark a conversation, but her eyes once again drifted lower onto Mei's chest. As Yuzu continued to stare at the rising and falling of Mei's chest, she noticed how Mei's shirt clung tightly to her wet body. As recollections of seeing Mei's naked body in the lake appeared in Yuzu's head, the blonde started to blush wildly, and she quickly turned her head away in an attempt to stop herself from defiling Mei's body. Unfortunately for Yuzu, all she could think about was Mei's figure, and she smacked herself on the head repeatedly to get her perverted thoughts out of her head.

"Is there a problem?" Mei asked, turning to face Yuzu after hearing the sound of slapping.

"Oh..uh...n-no problem here!" Yuzu exclaimed with a forced grin to hide her embarrassment. Mei raised an eyebrow, and Yuzu chuckled nervously as a result.

"I...I actually want to tell you something," Mei said as she looked down at the ground while nervously plucking several blades of grass. There was a brief moment of silence, and as Yuzu observed the troubled expression on Mei's face, she feared for the worst.

 _Oh no. Did she notice that I was basically ogling her earlier? Is she going to expose me? Or is she going to address how I haven't been treating her well and how I screwed things up? Crap! Please forgive me!_

"I just wanted to say thanks for helping and saving me last night," Mei finally said as she still stared at the strands of grass she was plucking.

Yuzu stared in awe, not expecting Mei to be expressing gratitude towards her.

"Y-y-you're welcome...I suppose," Yuzu said, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait a sec, I wasn't the one who really saved you."

"But you did pull me onto my feet and lead us away from further potential danger," Mei pointed out, "plus...I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Yuzu's embarrassment and shyness were replaced with guilt after hearing the last part. Taking a deep breath, Yuzu decided it was time to apologize.

"Aihara-san, you're wrong to be thanking me," Yuzu said, causing Mei to look confused. "I was too stupid and blind to realize that I had been casting you aside yesterday. I was too foolish to acknowledge that you needed me by your side, and I ended up risking our lives and bringing us to this point. For all this, I wanted to say that I am deeply sorry, and I can't expect to be forgiven."

There was a bit of silence, and Yuzu wondered what was going on through Mei's head. Her questions were quickly answered, as Mei cleared her throat.

"You're not at fault. Considering how that assassin was lurking about in the town, it was only a matter of time before we got caught," Mei said. She also wanted to say that Yuzu shouldn't be to blame for not deciphering her thoughts and emotions, but she withheld that last bit. Yuzu looked like she still wanted to say something, probably to keep on apologizing, but Mei waved her off. "Don't apologize. Let's just focus on the now instead of the past, okay?"

Yuzu wanted to shake her head no, but since she didn't want to accidentally anger the raven-haired woman, she conceded. There was an awkward silence, and curious about how Mei was doing, Yuzu asked, "How are you holding up? I can't imagine the emotions you were feeling last night when that happened."

Mei took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Yuzu knew that this was a really sensitive topic, so she allowed Mei to take as much time as she needed to collect her thoughts.

"I still haven't completely gotten over it, and I imagine what happened last night will haunt me for the rest of my life." Mei sighed with a downcast look, struggling to speak loudly and clearly while recounting her past. "I actually struggled to sleep last night, since all I could think about was the blade of his knife an inch away from my face. The scene is etched into my brain, and I know for sure I'll have many more restless and sleepless nights from here on out."

Yuzu looked incredibly heartbroken and guilty hearing the pain in Mei's voice. Wanting to help Mei cope with her nightmares. Yuzu inched closer and closer to Mei on the grass, then slowly wrapped an arm around Mei. At first, Mei flinched from the contact, causing the blonde to be unsure if this would help, but since Mei didn't exactly move away from her or retaliate, Yuzu felt her doubts wash away.

"Aihara-san, I know this sounds cheesy, but you can count on me to be there for you in your darkest times, and you sure as hell can always count on me to never leave your side again," Yuzu said softly, causing Mei to look up at Yuzu's gentle eyes. Seeing only sincerity and warmth in Yuzu's expression, Mei felt a tug on her lips, and she also felt her eyes wetten.

"Thank you, Y-Yuz-" Mei stuttered out.

After hearing Mei's failed attempt to refer to her by her first name, Yuzu's lips curled into a toothy grin.

"You don't have to force yourself to say my first name if it's too hard for you," Yuzu said with a slight chuckle, and Mei nodded in response. "Actually, do you...do you mind if I call you by your first name?"

Mei didn't respond at first, then slowly shook her head no. Mei noticed how Yuzu was trying her hardest to contain her excitement, and she felt something warm and fuzzy tingle within herself.

Mei and Yuzu both finished eating their breakfast, and since they had nothing else to do, they decided to call Matsuri. Yuzu pulled out her phone, which still had a decent amount of battery life even though she hadn't been able to charge it last night, and since she still had cellular data and service, she tapped on Matsuri's contact information and started the call. After a few minutes had passed, the call was picked up.

"Hello?" Matsuri's voice sounded through the phone.

"Hey, Matsuri! How are you doing?" Yuzu asked after switching audio to speaker.

"I'm doing terrifically, what about you? You and Mei-san doing alright?" Mei and Yuzu heard Matsuri ask with a somewhat smug tone.

"Right now I'm feeling fine, but Mei and I ran into some trouble last night," Yuzu replied. On the other end of the phone, Matsuri raised an eyebrow after hearing Yuzu refer to Mei by her first name, but decided she would talk about it some time later.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble are we talking about here?" Matsuri asked.

"Well...another assassin tried to...to kill Mei yesterday, but we managed to escape unscathed," Yuzu spoke into the phone while barely preventing her voice from faltering.

"Well, it's a good thing you guys are alright, but where are you two now? I hope you guys have left that town," Matsuri said.

"Don't worry, we left the town last night. Right now, we're in a dense forest. I think Mei and I will camp here until the entire situation settles."

"But don't you have a limited food and water supply? And do you guys have actual shelter to protect yourselves from wild animals and stuff?"

"Hmm...you're right. I guess if we need to, we can try to sneak back into the town and quickly buy some snacks before heading back into the forest. As for shelter, I suppose we can just buy a tent while we're searching for food," Yuzu suggested.

"I don't know...I think you guys should try and find a way back to the train station and come stay in my place."

"But we may end up endangering you! Like, what if some crazy, deranged people follow us back to your house?" Yuzu inquired, while Matsuri heavily exhaled out of frustration.

"Fucking hell, you guys...you guys can't just live in the wilds. Think about the health and safety issues! Think about how risky it is to sneak back into the public to buy food and water! I'm pretty sure some folks will eventually find out about you and follow you back into the forest."

Yuzu sighed and looked down at the ground in deep thought. While she didn't want to risk harm to her childhood friend, she also couldn't help but agree with her arguments. Yuzu started to hit herself on the forehead with her palms, trying desperately to think of a solid plan.

"Okay, how about this?" Matsuri said, sensing that Yuzu was seriously taking into account her arguments. "How about you camp in the forest for a few days, then go to the train station and come to my place? I imagine that some of the assassins, if there are multiple, are expecting you two to go to the train station as soon as possible to escape, and after a few days have passed, they'll eventually think that you two may have already left by then, causing them to abandon post."

"But how can we be sure that some degenerates won't linger behind like you propose?" Mei asked this time, causing Yuzu to look at her. "I'm certain that at least some thugs will stay behind just in case, while others will investigate other towns and cities."

"Shit, now that I think about it, that is a good point. In that case, then how about you two hail a cab and hope that the driver is willing to drive long distances?" Matsuri proposed.

"Well, Mei and I should have enough money to pay for a long ride, so I suppose we can do that." Yuzu looked at Mei, and they both nodded in agreement about the plan.

"Alright, that part is settled. What I'm still concerned about is when and where you will call for a ride. If you ask me, you should call once you head back to the town at night. This way there should be very few people wandering around on the streets, and this way you should be able to safely get a ride."

"Okay, sounds like a plan!" Yuzu said.

"Alright, sounds good. You two better make it back safely! And call me when you get a ride," Matsuri said.

"Don't worry, we will!" Yuzu said, and with that, the phone call ended.

"We should get our bags and start making our way back to where we entered the forest. By the time we reach the entrance, the sun will have almost completely disappeared, and we'll only have to camp in the woods for a little while longer," Mei noted as they both stood up.

Yuzu pulled up the maps application on her phone to determine which direction they should head in, and fortunately for them, the phone still had GPS signal in the dense woods. After checking which direction they should head in, Yuzu turned off her phone to conserve power, and they walked in a straight line away from their camp spot while occasionally walking around rocks, trees, and bodies of water. As time went on, the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, causing Mei and Yuzu to feel hotter and making them wipe away their sweat frequently.

During the hike through the forest, Yuzu was able to completely forget her dark and negative thoughts. While hiking, however, Yuzu would not only groan and complain about the flying insects, but she'd constantly whine about how she felt irritated all over her body because of mosquito bites. Mei would try to tell Yuzu to stop wailing about minor issues like bug bites, but Yuzu's wailing would persist, causing Mei to grumble to herself and facepalm. Eventually, Mei threatened to break off their new friendship, and because of how delirious Yuzu was, thinking that the agitated woman was being completely serious, Yuzu shut her mouth and tried her best to quietly lead the way through the woods.

After walking for two more hours, the two women finally decided to stop and rest. Sitting down near a massive ravine, Yuzu tried to fan herself with her hands, while Mei looked at her skeptically.

"You do realize that fanning yourself in this hot and humid weather won't actually cool you down, right?" Mei asked as she took out a water bottle from her bag.

"Don't worry! I'm simply tricking my body into thinking that fanning myself will cool me down!" Yuzu grinned, while Mei shook her head after hearing her logic. While Yuzu continued to fan herself while occasionally wiping away her sweat from her eyes, Mei took a sip from her water bottle and grimaced after feeling how warm the water had become.

While sitting down to rest, the two figured that they should take the time to eat, so they both took out some protein bars for more energy, and a sandwich. They were in no rush to finish their food, so they took their time to savor the taste of their meal.

Once Mei and Yuzu had satisfied their stomachs and felt they had regained some stamina, they stood up and continued to make their way through the woods. As they walked, they decided they should search up news about last night, and after Yuzu took out her phone to look for relevant information, they found that the drunkard who assaulted Mei was arrested and interrogated. However, much like the other detained criminals, he didn't leak or carry any information, much to Mei and Yuzu's disappointment. The news article also stated for citizens to be wary of and report any suspicious people, and with nothing else worth reading, Yuzu put away her phone. Feeling as if they were cursed with never being able to go back into their normal lives, Mei and Yuzu walked silently through the woods, praying that whatever good luck they had would remain with them.

* * *

The setting sun cast an orange, hazy light across the sky and onto the leaves of the trees. Walking in the shadows of the forest, Mei and Yuzu slowly trudged on the grass as they tried to catch their breaths. Their legs were incredibly sore, and they felt slightly lightheaded. Fortunately for them, because the sun wasn't directly over them now, the temperature had been more tolerable, making their trek in the woods easier.

Mei finished her last sip of her water bottle, causing her to frown and appear annoyed. Meanwhile, Yuzu was checking her smartphone to see that they were nearly three kilometers away from the edge of the forest. Yuzu urged Mei to quicken her walking pace, as they were almost finally done with their long hike, but the latter refused, saying that there was no need to rush. Yuzu pouted and argued that the earlier they could get to the edge of the forest, the sooner they could stop to rest, but Mei responded by saying that she had no intention of expelling extra energy for something that wasn't urgent.

For the next twenty minutes, they walked at a slow pace, much to Yuzu's dismay, and they chatted for very brief moments. Oftentimes, they'd have nothing to say to each other, so they'd walk in silence, instead focusing on the sounds of nature around them. They listened to the chirping of the birds, the leaves blowing in the wind, the grass crunching beneath their feet, the buzzing of the insects, and…

"Do you hear something?" Yuzu asked as they came to a stop. Both Mei and Yuzu listened intently to their surroundings, and that's when they heard it again.

"Voices," Mei confirmed. "Quick, get down and hide!"

Mei and Yuzu crouched down behind a large bush and peeked over the top to scan for the origin of the voices. From the dim orange lighting from the sun, coupled with the dark shadows that were cast from the trees all around them, the two women struggled to find any sign of people. They both looked at each other and shared the same look of confusion and uncertainty, and as they remained crouched behind the bush to make sure that they couldn't be seen, they heard the voices grow louder. Finally, they spotted three people emerging from the shadows, each wearing a gun holster and one person holding a smartphone. They were about thirty yards away from where Mei and Yuzu were hiding, and they were walking very slowly as they were focused on the screen of the phone.

"We're heading in the right direction. I think we're getting pretty close to the signal," the two women heard the man carrying the device say.

"Damn good thing we got tipped to go to the forest, otherwise it would take us ages to find them, and our employer would get really fucking pissed," another man said.

"How much further until we find them? I wanna kill them and get the hell out of here, cause I don't want the boss to go ape shit like when the other guys failed, " a woman in the group asked.

"Won't be much further. It'll only be a matter of minutes before we find them," the man with the phone said.

Mei and Yuzu looked at each other in fear. Realizing that the assassins were tracking Yuzu's phone, Mei signaled for the blonde to get rid of the device. Yuzu took out her phone and was about to chuck the device away before recognizing that the thugs might see the phone being thrown and determine their location.

"Just slowly place the phone on the ground, then we'll quietly slip away," Mei whispered to Yuzu after seeing how hesitant she was. Yuzu nodded her head, and after she placed the phone down, she and Mei slowly backed away from the bush while remaining crouched. They were sure not to step on the branches on the ground as they backed away, and once they felt they were far enough from the assassins, they stood up and sprinted.

* * *

The sun was almost completely set, casting a dark red and purple glow across the sky. There was very low visibility in the black woods, and even as Mei and Yuzu's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, they still struggled to see in front of them and often tripped over roots and rocks.

Mei stopped in her tracks, causing Yuzu to stop beside her and hunch over to catch her breath. Their adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and they sat down and leaned up against tree trunks to rest. They didn't know how far away they were from the group of assassins, and they didn't know how much time they had before they had to get up and move again. Worried about how to get out of the forest and into the town to call for a taxi, Mei faced Yuzu and grasped her arm.

"We can't stay here forever. We need to figure out how to get past the grunts, since they are probably headed in our direction," Mei said quietly in a serious voice.

"Since it's dark right now, we can probably sneak right past them," Yuzu commented, but Mei shook her head in disagreement.

"I'd rather not risk our lives by sneaking close to them. They probably have flashlights, so that means that we can't rely on the darkness."

"Well, how about we try to go around them? We can start off by walking to the side in a huge semicircle, and we'll most likely have evaded them by the time we reach the end of the semicircle," Yuzu suggested.

"Okay, sounds like a plan. We should get going then. Also, we should still remain crouched while making our way around them just in case."

Mei and Yuzu remained low on the ground as they slowly traversed through the woods, and all they could hear were the sounds of their own footsteps on the grass, as well as the crickets. The atmosphere was extremely tense, and the two women were attentive to any sounds that didn't belong, such as footsteps from afar. As they slowly covered distance, Yuzu would peer around trees and bushes and signal to Mei if the coast was clear. So far, there were absolutely no signs of the hired killers, but Mei and Yuzu were constantly feeling anxious and uneasy about the lingering suspense, expecting someone or something to pop out and kill them.

They neared a large tree, and that's when they heard a twig snap in the distance. Turning their heads in the direction of where the snapping sounded, Mei and Yuzu could see a ray of light shining about on and around bushes and trees. Holding in their breaths, Mei and Yuzu lay on their stomachs and remained motionless as not to make any sound that could attract unwanted attention.

The person holding the flashlight was now visible, and the two women figured that the grunts had split up in search of them. Mei and Yuzu shared a look that said that they should wait for the killer to leave the area, and so they waited. The thug slowly but carefully looked around the immediate vicinity, and as he slowly walked closer and closer to the large tree where they were hiding, Mei and Yuzu both felt a sense of dread. The suspense was overwhelming for the two of them, and they could feel their own hearts beating wildly, threatening to burst from their chests.

The killer was now a couple of yards away, and Mei and Yuzu tried to slowly crawl behind the tree to avoid the incoming flashlight's line of sight. As they inched their way behind the trunk, the beam of light homed in on their faces, blinding their eyes and making them cover their face. Hearing the shouting of the killer, Mei and Yuzu stood up and sprinted away, weaving in between the trees as they heard bullets flying past them and striking the trees beside them. They tried to lose the light of the flashlight, but even as they ran past several trees, the assassin was still able to see them.

Mei felt a sting in her arm that was quickly followed by a tight, overwhelming pressure. Curious about this foreign sensation that was starting to burn like an inferno, Mei quickly glanced at her arm to see that a bullet had barely grazed her skin. Yuzu noticed that Mei was slowing down, and after she saw the blood oozing out from the raven-haired woman's arm, Yuzu felt a shudder down her spine and shrieked. Mei quickly signaled to Yuzu to stop panicking, as the former wanted them to get to safety first, and Yuzu, who feared that Mei would bleed to death very soon, assisted her in running behind a huge boulder a couple of yards away.

A few more bullets flew by, all missing their targets. Yuzu managed to assist Mei to the boulder and made her sit down so she could look at the injury. In the darkness, Yuzu could see that the blood was beginning to soak Mei's arm and clothes, and she could also see that the blood was dripping onto the grass, staining them red. Without hesitation, Yuzu teared off one of the sleeves of her own shirt, and she tightly wrapped it around the wound as an effort to constantly apply pressure and stop the bleeding. The bandage was immediately stained red, and Mei struggled to fight the pain and hold back whimpers.

The flashlight shone onto the two women, and just as the killer was raising his gun to shoot Mei at point-blank range, Yuzu felt a sudden sense of dread and fear that Mei would die right then and there. Time seemed to slow down as Yuzu observed Mei's widened eyes, her look of innocence being taken away, and her look of genuine terror and hopelessness. Images of seeing Mei's lifeless body on the ground with blood pooling around her head were displayed in Yuzu's head, and as the images focused in on Mei's pale, soulless eyes, the blonde felt something snap within herself. Yuzu lunged at the assassin, catching his wrist and pointing the weapon away from Mei. The gun fired into the dirt, and as the assassin struggled to aim the gun, Yuzu tried to kick and knee him to bring him down.

Mei clutched her arm tightly as she watched Yuzu wrestle with the assassin. The man tried to push and punch Yuzu, but she had an iron grip on his wrist. Even after he kneed her several times with immense power, Yuzu fought through the pain and kept the gun pointed away. Then, as Mei watched in horror, the killer slid his free hand to his pocket and pulled out a large, closed pocket knife. The sharp blade flung open, and the man shoved the knife straight into Yuzu's stomach, rendering her too shocked and hurt to move. Yuzu's grip loosened, and after violently pulling out the blade from Yuzu's flesh, the assassin shoved her to the ground before spitting on her wriggling body.

Mei found herself sprinting towards the assassin with immense speed, and just before the killer could aim his pistol at Yuzu's head, Mei tackled him to the ground, causing him to drop both weapons. Mei furiously punched the person beneath her with vengeance, then, as tears started to well up in her eyes, she placed both of her hands on his neck and gripped tightly. The man beneath her struggled to breathe, and after he had recovered from getting tackled onto the ground, he grabbed Mei and flung her over his head. Mei gasped in pain from the impact of landing hard on her back, as well as the burning and stinging of her bullet wound, and before she could react, the grunt got on top of her and started to choke her back. Mei tried to pry his hands off, but with each passing second, she felt her strength fade away. Her vision was starting to become blurry, and as she tried to look around for a rock she could bash into his skull, she instead saw the knife an arm's distance away. Mei desperately reached out for the knife, and feeling herself beginning to lose consciousness, Mei used the last of her energy to grab the knife and plunge it into the killer's waist. The killer immediately loosened his grip around her neck, allowing Mei to breathe and regain some strength. With rage, Mei kicked the man off of her and stabbed him in the chest repeatedly, causing him to go limp.

Mei ran back and crouched down next to Yuzu's squirming body. She dropped the knife in order to tend to Yuzu, but before she could do anything, she noticed the light of a flashlight off in the distance. After realizing that another killer was approaching them, Mei looked around on the ground for the pistol that the previous assassin had dropped. Mei saw that the gun was a few feet away, so she quickly grabbed the gun and fired wildly towards the approaching grunt. Because of her inexperience with the gun, she not only missed all of the shots she fired, but she wasn't used to the recoil and often dropped the weapon. The grunt was quickly approaching with her own gun locked onto Mei, and Mei closed her eyes and unloaded several more bullets, praying that at least one of them would strike down the grunt. After hearing the cry of pain in the distance, Mei opened her eyes and realized that she had managed to shoot the killer dead.

Mei felt a tug on her sleeve, and she turned around to see Yuzu's pleading, wet eyes. Yuzu whimpered loudly as she clutched her bloodied stab wound, and seeing the blonde in this state made Mei feel a severe sense of guilt.

"Yuzu, please hang on! I'm here with you, and I'm going to keep you safe!" Mei tried to reassure her with a shaky voice. Yuzu couldn't respond to her and only groaned in agony, and Mei had to look away from how broken Yuzu looked.

A gunshot rang in the air, and a bullet went straight through Mei's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. The third and last assassin in the group had found her and was quickly approaching with his weapon drawn. Acting quickly, Mei dragged Yuzu to the opposite side of the boulder, and when Mei turned around, she saw a barrage of bullets strike the ground they were originally on. Mei held her gun up in preparation for the last assassin, and when the man walked around the boulder, Mei fired. Since Mei fired at point-blank range, the killer was struck in the chest, causing him to drop his pistol. Mei pulled the trigger of her gun to finish him off, but realized she had run out of bullets. Still holding onto the knife, Mei swung the blade towards the man's neck, only for her wrist to be caught. Mei felt a powerful blow being delivered to her face, knocking her down onto the ground. Mei saw that the assassin was about to stomp down hard on her face, so she braced herself and held the knife straight up. She felt the force of the stomp push against her hand, which hurt her injured arm and shoulder, and after hearing the man scream in pain, Mei noticed how the grunt had unintentionally impaled himself on the blade with at least two inches of the blade sticking out from the top of his foot. Mei tore the knife away, causing the man to collapse onto the ground, and wasting no time, Mei stabbed the assassin's throat, causing him to gurgle in his own blood. Mei left the dagger lodged in the killer's throat and crawled on her back away from the dead body, shocked about the recent turn of events as well as the burden of having taken many lives. Just then, Mei remembered that Yuzu was in immediate danger, so she took his flashlight while using her free hand to hold onto her wounded and burning shoulder, and she made her way to Yuzu.

Yuzu was very pale when Mei found her. Knowing that Yuzu needed immediate medical attention, Mei took off her bag and grabbed a clean shirt. She then slowly lifted Yuzu's shirt to reveal the wound, causing Mei to grimace, and using her clean shirt, the raven-haired woman applied pressure on the wound to control the bleeding. Yuzu screamed from the contact, and Mei nearly stopped applying pressure out of fear of hurting her. Realizing that Yuzu would die if she didn't act, Mei tried to drown out Yuzu's cries and focused on applying pressure to the wound.

"Please stop the bleeding, please stop the bleeding," Mei quietly said to herself, not knowing for how long she should keep pressing her shirt against Yuzu. Yuzu tugged on Mei's arms in desperation, and Mei looked at her red, teary eyes in sadness.

For about five minutes, Mei kept applying pressure to Yuzu's stomach. Not knowing if the time was sufficient, Mei started to lift her hands and the now-bloodied shirt to see if the status of the injury was getting better. Unfortunately for Mei, the wound was so messy and covered with blood, making it hard for her to determine if the bleeding had stopped, so Mei grabbed Yuzu's water bottle from her bag and poured it onto the wound to clean it a bit. Most of the blood washed away, but the wound was still leaking with red. Mei decided to dig through her bag for the first aid kit they had bought weeks ago, and she took out a bottle of antibiotic ointment. She spread copious amounts of the ointment on the wound to prevent infections, and since the wound was fairly large and still gushing out blood, Mei knew she had to close it up. She took out a needle and thread kit, and she looked at Yuzu with sympathy.

"Yuzu, I'm sorry. This is going to hurt a lot, but I have to do it," Mei said shakily as tears started to well up in her eyes. Mei started to tie the skin together, all while Yuzu's shrieking filled her ears.

* * *

 **Changed/added content:**

 **-Added the part where Yuzu reflected on the previous day and changed a bit of how Yuzu interacted with Mei towards the beginning (I don't know how I completely forgot to include this the first time)**

 **-Changed how Yuzu reacted to the first name thing (her excitement is now more confined and probably better fits the context of the story)**

 **-Changed the number of assassins from four to three. Having Mei take down four thugs is understandably a stretch, so I wanted to make the fight scene more realistic while taking into account the luck that Mei had.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the support! :) Also, if you didn't know, I edited/added things to chapter 5, so be sure to check that out. I also want to mention that because of another semester of college, I won't be able to post new chapters as frequently. As a result, I'll be posting the occasional update about the progress of the story on my profile.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

The first thing Yuzu woke up to was an intense and unbearable pain in her stomach. Her abdomen felt like it was cooking in an oven along with millions of wasps that were rapidly stinging her, and when Yuzu weakly tilted her head forward, she saw a blood-stained shirt wrapped around her abdomen. Yuzu froze still as the events that had occurred last night rushed through her mind, and she could almost envision and feel the knife stabbing her body as clearly as when it had actually happened. Yuzu started to pant heavily as the terror took hold over her, and she cried out in pain as her stomach disapproved of any movement that stressed it. As such, she hyperventilated even more and was caught in a never ending cycle of pain and fright.

Yuzu heard the sound of an anxious voice nearby, and as the blonde listened more closely to the voice, she could make out phrases and sentences that expressed confusion and doubt. Twisting her body in the direction of the voice, Yuzu immediately winced after feeling the the uncomfortable pain in her stomach. Accepting the fact that any sort of movement would hurt her, Yuzu slowly turned her head to minimize the pain, and that's when she saw Mei. Mei was sitting cross-legged on the grass with her back facing Yuzu, and she was busy rubbing her shoulder, arm, and face. For the most part, Mei's wounds didn't sting or burn as much as the night before, but they were certainly aching. The woman was completely distracted and drowned in her thoughts, and she hadn't realized that the blonde was awake.

"Mei?" Yuzu weakly called out, hoping to gain her friend's attention, but Mei didn't seem to hear her.

"What am I supposed to do? Should we go to a hospital? Should we try to get to the train station?" Mei wondered aloud as she continued to stroke her sore spots.

"M-Mei?" Yuzu asked a little louder, this time causing Mei to stop massaging her arms and face.

Mei didn't respond and kept her head faced away from Yuzu, causing the latter to become concerned. The blonde reached her arm out as if to hold onto Mei's arm, but the movement caused Yuzu to retract her hand and groan in pain.

"Mei, is everything alright?" Yuzu asked hoarsely, trying to ignore the discomfort she felt while talking. It didn't seem like Mei would reply, but after a few seconds, she slowly turned around to reveal her bloodshot eyes and dried-out tears. The blonde could also see more clearly that Mei had stuck two large band-aids on her shoulder and arm, and she could also see the dark, unpleasant bruise on her cheek.

"Y-Yuzu...I…you…" Mei struggled to form words, then looked away from Yuzu.

"Mei...is everything okay? Are you feeling alright?" Yuzu barely managed to ask, clutching her stomach as she tried to reposition herself on the ground to get more comfortable. As she did so, her stomach retaliated much more aggressively, causing Yuzu to nearly curse out loud.

"I...I don't know…" Mei quietly answered after taking some time to think, while hugging her legs to her chest.

Yuzu sighed as she was unable to obtain any answers from Mei. Looking away from the troubled woman to survey her surroundings, Yuzu just then noticed the several bodies that were sprawled on the ground nearby. She saw pools of dark red around the bodies, and she gagged at the unpleasant sight of a knife sticking through someone's throat.

 _Did Mei kill them all? If so...she must've almost died trying to protect me. That would explain why she seems so traumatized right now, and I don't blame her._

As Yuzu repositioned herself on the ground, she felt what seemed like a thread touching the skin around where the pain was. Curious about what the thread-like feeling was, Yuzu slowly removed the stained shirt from her abdomen, and she gasped after seeing the stitches that were poorly sewn onto the huge cut on her stomach. The visuals of the stitches on her reddened stab wound greatly disturbed Yuzu, and she nearly threw up from the sight. Yuzu started to sweat uncontrollably, and she felt herself become lightheaded the longer she stared at her injury. Because of how freaked out Yuzu was, her stomach started to ache and sting again, and she grunted loudly in response.

Mei turned around after hearing the gagging and groaning coming from Yuzu, and she saw how Yuzu had revealed the stitches on her stomach. Mei was still uncomfortable looking at the gash even though she was the one who operated on it for a long time, and seeing as how there was some dried blood on Yuzu's skin, Mei took the half-empty water bottle beside her and used it to clean off the wound. Yuzu watched quietly as Mei took some antibiotic ointment from her bag and applied it on the cut, and she watched as the raven-haired woman strapped a large bandage onto her stomach.

"Mei, can you help me sit up?" Yuzu weakly asked after Mei was finished with patching her up.

Mei silently held onto Yuzu's arm while supporting her back with her free hand, and Mei slowly raised the blonde's upper half so she was now sitting up. Once that was done, Mei went back to looking down at the grass while massaging her bruises. Yuzu didn't know how to feel about Mei's shyness and uneasiness, so she decided to thank the silent woman for protecting and saving her from certain death.

"Mei...thank you for saving me last night. Not only did you fend off a bunch of dangerous people, but you also managed to stitch me up and prevent me from losing way more blood than necessary. So...thank you. I owe you big time," Yuzu said wholeheartedly, but Mei's reaction was not what she had expected.

"Yuzu, I don't think you should be treating me so nicely and acting like I'm not at fault here," Mei said with a barely audible voice, causing Yuzu to look surprised. "You're always treating me with more respect than I deserve. If it weren't for me, you'd be living comfortably in Tokyo and would have probably found a new job by now. If it weren't for me and my inability to express my thoughts and emotions, then we wouldn't be stuck in the forest, and if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be hurt and struggling for your life."

"M-Mei...I-"

"Yuzu, you don't owe me anything! I dragged you into this mess, and now you'll have to suffer because of it!" Mei shouted, then her voice fell. "What's more, you're...you're always taking responsibility over me, and you've even saved me multiple times when I wasn't even able to protect you."

Yuzu couldn't formulate any words to counter Mei's argument. Everything she said was true, but the blonde didn't want Mei to suffer from it. Not knowing what else to do, Yuzu gently grasped Mei's hand, causing the raven-haired woman to look straight into her eyes.

"Mei, while I can't deny that everything you said is true...I also want you to know that I do not think any worse of you. Right now, we need each other more than ever, and we shouldn't linger in the past if we are to move on. Just...please stop beating yourself up, okay? Will you promise me that?" Yuzu asked as her thumb caressed Mei's skin.

"I...I don't know. You shouldn't be forgiving me this ea-" Mei was interrupted as Yuzu suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. While this maneuver did cause pain for the blonde, she ignored the feeling in her stomach as she wanted to demonstrate to Mei just how serious she was.

"Please stop beating yourself up. I can't bear to see you this way," Yuzu whispered into Mei's ears as tears started to drip onto Mei's clothing.

The gears inside Mei's head came to a standstill. Yuzu's embrace and heartfelt words clashed with her cold, pessimistic, defeatist views and mindset, and no matter how hard Mei tried to reject Yuzu's influence, she couldn't muster herself to actually fight back. Her resolve was quickly diminishing, and in the end, the light of Yuzu's caring nature dominated the dark, negative thoughts inside Mei's brain. Mei slowly accepted Yuzu's embrace and returned the hug, and as the raven-haired woman rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder, she felt extremely grateful.

"Okay, I promise," Mei said with a surge of confidence.

Mei and Yuzu both closed their eyes as they melted into each other's arms. After a few seconds, they slowly separated from each other, and they simply stared into each other's eyes with sincerity and gratitude. Soon enough, they were both blushing, and they looked away from each other out of shyness.

Yuzu's stomach growled in hunger, which also unfortunately made her wince in pain. Hearing the blonde groan in agony, Mei quickly dug through her bag and took out some food.

"Here, I'll feed you," Mei said as she raised a scone to Yuzu's mouth.

Yuzu timidly brushed her hair behind her ears, and she leaned forward and nibbled on her breakfast. As Mei continued to feed Yuzu, the latter blushed furiously from this somewhat intimate moment. Mei also held Yuzu's water bottle to the blonde's mouth, and once Yuzu finished the bottle, Mei placed the piece of plastic in her bag.

"I've been thinking...given the circumstances, we can't stay in the woods for long," Mei stated once they were finished eating. "We need professional medical treatment as soon as possible, otherwise we'll most likely die from infections. We should head back to the town and find the local hospital."

"Wait, but...what if we bump into other thugs? Given how that policewoman from weeks ago was dangerous, I wouldn't be surprised if there were somehow some assassins working in the hospital," Yuzu remarked with a concerned tone.

"Listen, we'll be guaranteed death if we don't get treated quickly, and I highly doubt that there are henchmen in the hospital. Think about it this way: the employer probably only hired people in Tokyo because that was where we lived. The person in charge wouldn't have expected us to survive this long and camp out here, so there would be no reason for him or her to bribe hospital workers in a place this far away," Mei said.

"You're...you're right. I just can't help but worry about how vulnerable we'll be in the hospital when we're getting operated on," Yuzu said with a sigh.

"I understand. We'll have to pray that we come out of the hospital alive and well," Mei commented.

"One more thing I'm concerned about is how we'll prevent ourselves from attracting attention. If we're walking around in broad daylight, the people nearby will see your bruised cheek, and they might see blood if it stains through our clothes," Yuzu added.

"We can wear extra layers of clothing to conceal the blood, but as for my face, I"m not too sure what to do," Mei said.

"Normally, I can just cover up the blemish with makeup, but since I don't have any of that with me, we'll just have to quickly find the hospital so not too many people, specifically undercover assassins, will notice us."

"Okay. We should leave soon. Do you think you can walk?" Mei asked.

Yuzu attempted to push herself up with her arms, but the movement caused her to cry out in pain.

"I'm gonna need a bit of help," Yuzu sighed in defeat, "but first, I think you should search the bodies for equipment that can help us along the way. We can probably use their guns or knives as self defense, and we might find some other useful things on them."

"Alright, I'll be right back," Mei said before standing up and looking away from the blonde.

The closest body, which was only a couple feet away, still had the knife in the brutally bloodied neck and throat. The sight was incredibly disturbing and vomit-inducing, making Mei feel a heavy weight of guilt for having taken many people's lives. Ignoring the depressed thoughts in her head, Mei decided against taking the bloodied knife and focused on searching through the clothes of the body. Feeling through the pockets of the jackets and pants, Mei found a small box that contained more ammo for the handgun that was beside the body, and she also found his wallet and smartphone. With nothing else to scavenge from the body, Mei placed the items in her bag and moved on to the next body. As Mei crouched down beside another body, she felt her wounds ache more than usual. Mei tried her best to ignore the increasing discomfort in her body to focus on the task at hand, and after spending the next few minutes scavenging for tools, Mei made her way over to Yuzu and sat down. Mei opened her bag, and one by one, she placed the items she had collected onto the ground.

"Alright, so we have three handguns, three ammo packs, two knives, three wallets, and three smartphones," Mei stated as she picked up one of the handguns. "This particular gun is out of bullets, and since we don't need a third gun, we can just leave it behind. That said, we have a lot of ammo for two guns, and we can each carry one of the guns and one of the pocket knives."

"Do you know how to use one of these?" Yuzu asked as she picked up a handgun and inspected it. "I don't know how to reload this thing, much less shoot it. I'm also kind of concerned about accidentally shooting myself when I'm holding it or have it stored in my bag, so I really hope there is some sort of safety pin or mechanism."

"I'm not too sure how to use these myself. I think there should be a release mechanism so we can load some more bullets," Mei said as she also inspected the pistol. After toying around with the weapon, she pressed a small button on the side that released the magazine. Yuzu, who was observing what Mei did, managed to replicate the same thing on the gun that she was holding.

"Alright, sweet! Looks like we know how to reload the gun!" Yuzu exclaimed as she fist pumped the air, which, like she should have expected, stressed her stomach and caused her to wince in pain.

"Seems like it. As for the safety mechanism, I suspect it has something to do with this…" Mei pointed to a notch on the side of the firearm. Testing out her theory, Mei flipped the switch and pulled the trigger while pointing at a nearby tree. The weapon didn't fire, and when Mei flipped the switch back, the pistol fired and recoiled, which caused her to drop the gun. Yuzu decided to test out the decocker as well, and she yielded the same results as Mei.

"Okay, I think we got down most of the basics of using a gun," Yuzu said as she switched on the safety mechanism and set down the weapon. She then picked up a closed knife and inspected it. After pressing on the trigger, the large blade flung open, startling the blonde. Yuzu then sheathed the blade and gently set the knife down, as the blade made her feel uneasy.

After packing up the handguns, knives, and ammo, Mei and Yuzu grabbed the wallets on the ground to check for identification. Inside the wallets, they saw credit cards, driver's licenses, and other forms of identification, and they also saw how the wallets had a decent amount of cash. After inspecting the wallets, they moved on to the phones.

"I kinda wonder how these people got into this sort of job," Yuzu commented as she picked up one of the phone's on the ground and turned it on to see the lock screen. The wallpaper showed a picture of a family of four, with the two parents smiling into the camera as their two young children displayed grumpy faces at each other. Meanwhile, Mei also took one of the phones and turned it on to see a picture of a man and woman holding hands together in a park. "They all look so happy in these pictures, and it really makes me wonder if these people had lost their original jobs and were desperate enough to find any sort of occupation that would allow them to provide for their family," Yuzu said with a grace of sadness in her voice. That thought made Mei feel even more guilty and depressed about how she had killed these people, even though these people were the ones who were trying to kill her and Yuzu.

"Well, seeing as how these people look innocent and happy in these pictures, we really have to be more careful when we're back in public. We have to treat everyone with caution, even if they are the most unlikely people to display acts of violence," Mei noted, earning a nod from Yuzu.

Mei picked up the last smartphone and turned it on. Her eyes immediately widened after seeing what was on the screen, and she grabbed onto Yuzu's arm to grab her attention. Mei showed the blonde the contents displayed on the screen, and Yuzu's eyes widened as well. Displayed on the screen were many text messages sent from the contact known as "boss," and each of the texts either demanded a status report, or expressed his or her disappointment in the assassins' inability to track down and kill their two targets.

"Dang, whoever this 'boss' is must really hate us," Yuzu breathed out.

"These messages were sent out about seven hours ago, so this person most likely knows that his henchmen have failed by now," Mei added.

"We have to present this to the police. We should also give them the other phones and wallets for their investigation," Yuzu said.

"Alright, but we first need to go to the hospital. The evidence can wait, since we probably won't have a lot of time to live if we don't get treated," Mei said. Yuzu nodded her head in agreement, and they decided it was time to go.

"Hey, uh, Mei? Do you think you can assist me with walking? I want to try to limit the amount of movement so I don't hurt myself," Yuzu asked as she held her hand against her stomach.

Mei assessed the situation and realized that having Yuzu limp through the forest would waste a lot of precious time. Instead of walking alongside the blonde with their arms around each other, Mei opted to kneel down in front of Yuzu and motioned for her to climb onto her back.

"W-wait. Are you sure about this?" Yuzu asked, concerned about if Mei would get exhausted from carrying her.

"Just climb on. We haven't got much time," Mei said with a stern voice.

Mei handed Yuzu her bag to hold onto, and the blonde reluctantly climbed on Mei's back. Yuzu wrapped her arms tightly around the raven-haired woman's neck while being cognisant not to accidentally choke her, while Mei held up Yuzu's thighs as she stood up. Mei's wounded arm and shoulder hurt, but the determined woman ignored the stinging and aching. As Mei started to walk through the woods, Yuzu leaned in against her back and rested her cheek on the back of Mei's uninjured shoulder. The close contact and warmness of Mei's body made Yuzu feel comfortable, and she closed her eyes as her cheeks started to redden. Unbeknownst to Yuzu, Mei had trouble concentrating on walking while being this close to the blonde, and coupled with how she could feel the mounds of Yuzu's chest right up against her back, Mei's cheeks also started to redden.

* * *

Along the way to the end of the forest, Mei and Yuzu stumbled upon the broken pieces of a phone. Yuzu was able to quickly recognize the pink casing, and she grumbled in disappointment at how all the data stored on the device was lost. The blonde also complained about how they had no way of calling or texting Matsuri, and she was also bummed about how she and Mei had no easy way of calling for a taxi.

After some time, Mei finally made it to the edge of the forest. Overlooking the vast field of grass that separated them from the town, Mei took a deep breath before resuming her walk. As Mei marched through the grass, Yuzu grew a bit concerned about her; Yuzu could hear the raven-haired woman struggling to catch her breath, and the blonde also figured that Mei's wounds were starting to take a toll on her. Yuzu told Mei to a break, but Mei refused the offer, as she was set on carrying Yuzu all the way over to the hospital. After Yuzu spent the few minutes arguing and trying to get Mei to rest, Mei finally gave in. On the outskirts of the old town, Mei made Yuzu get off her back for a brief moment for them to wear an extra layer of clothes. As Mei crouched down to reach into her bag, she felt a bit lightheaded and dizzy, and she nearly lost her balance and tipped over. Mei simply brushed aside Yuzu's concerns, and once they each put on a second shirt and felt that no one would be able to see any blood stains on their clothing, Mei ordered Yuzu on her back again. Yuzu slowly and reluctantly climbed onto her back, they made their way onto the streets. The two had trouble locating the local hospital, and considering how the people walking nearby were eyeing the sight of an adult carrying another adult, Mei and Yuzu started to feel impatient and worried.

"Yuzu, you should keep an eye out for potential assassins while also being on the lookout for a hospital," Mei remarked. "Since it's taking us a long time to find out where we need to go, I wouldn't be surprised if we accidentally stumble into them at some point."

The last part of Mei's statement made Yuzu feel a little uncomfortable and antsy, and so she constantly looked around to make sure that no one was following them. Yuzu looked over to a nearby bench to see two elderly citizens chatting amongst themselves, then looked at a group of middle school-aged children making their way past them on the sidewalk. Yuzu gulped at the thought that these people could be capable of harboring malicious thoughts, but since the children and the elderly didn't seem to care about her and Mei's presence, Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief.

"See anything suspicious?" Mei asked suddenly.

"No, not really. At least for now," Yuzu replied before focusing her attention on three adults who were loitering next to a convenience store off in the distance. Once Yuzu squinted her eyes in order to get a better look at the adults, she could see one person pointing at her and Mei. Yuzu immediately felt her skin crawl at this gesture, and she involuntarily made a small squeak.

"Yuzu, what's going on?" Mei asked after the noise that Yuzu made.

"Um, there are some people near that store who are looking at us," Yuzu said quietly as she pointed in their direction for Mei to follow. Mei saw what Yuzu was talking about, and her body immediately stiffened in reaction.

"Yuzu, tell me if they give chase. I'm going to try and walk away from them as quickly as possible without making us look suspicious," Mei said sternly as she crossed the street to get away from the potential danger.

Yuzu occasionally glanced back to see if the men were following them, but they were only pointing and laughing, much to her curiosity. Fortunately for Mei and Yuzu, the loitering group wasn't following them, and the men headed inside the convenience store. Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief, then looked away from the store to scan for more suspicious people.

"It seems like they've lost interest in us for now," Yuzu said as she looked around the area. "I hope they don't come looking for us later. It really seemed like they were mocking us for some reason."

"Well, they were possibly laughing at the idea of a grown woman giving another woman a piggyback ride," Mei commented.

"Yeah, let's hope it's just that." Yuzu nodded in agreement.

Almost another twenty minutes were spent looking for the hospital, and Mei's stamina was quickly depleting. Mei was panting heavily as her legs started to become heavy and wobbly, and as her skin started to grow more pale, her vision became more blurry. Her wounds were aching beyond belief, and Mei felt as if she was going to collapse at any minute. Yuzu noticed that the raven-haired woman's movements were becoming more and more sluggish, so she peered around Mei's back to see that she was looking very sickly.

"Mei? Are you alright?" Yuzu asked nervously. There was no response from Mei. "Mei, set me down. You need to rest for a bit."

Mei was completely disoriented and did not hear a single word from Yuzu. All she could process in her ears was a steady whirring noise, and it was quickly overwhelming her. Due to the level of discomfort and confusion she was feeling at the moment, Mei didn't realize that she had face planted onto the hard cement of the walkway. As a result, Yuzu was flung over Mei's back, and Yuzu cried out in pain after her stomach collided with the pavement. Because of the sudden commotion, there were several people who approached them with worry.

"Ugh, that hurt," Yuzu groaned as she held her hand to her stomach in an attempt to soothe the pain. The blonde tried to sit up, which naturally upset her injury even more, and once she actually managed to sit up straight, she lifted up her hand to see a dark red color. "What...what is this? Is this...blood?" Yuzu wondered aloud before looking down at her shirt. Her clothes were stained red, and Yuzu came to the realization that her wound had opened up. Panic started to set in, and Yuzu's entire body started to shake as she still stared at her bloodied hand.

Mei's groaning caught Yuzu's attention, and the blonde hurriedly and painfully crawled over to her side. Yuzu noticed how Mei's eyelids were fluttering rapidly, with her eyes seemingly staring straight into the nothingness. Worried for Mei's safety, Yuzu instinctively held Mei's hand with her own, only to find that it was becoming rather cold.

"Mei? Mei, can you hear me?" Yuzu asked as she started to shake her shoulders violently. "Mei! Please hang on! Don't leave me!"

Yuzu was suddenly aware of the large crowd of people forming around her and Mei, and the stress over Mei's safety, the fear of a silent killer amidst the crowd, and the constant murmuring of the crowd of people all started to engulf her.

A hand grabbed onto Yuzu's arm, snatching her attention away from the voices and Mei. Yuzu stared up to the person who held her arm, and she saw a man dressed in a police uniform, who gave her a concerned look.

"Excuse me, we need to get you and your friend over to the hospital right now. Get into the cruiser, and I'll carry your friend over to the car," the officer said, pointing to the vehicle that was parked beside them.

"Okay, just please keep her safe," Yuzu said weakly while standing up and clutching her stomach.

The officer picked up Mei and carried her as if she were a bride, over to the cruiser. Meanwhile, Yuzu slowly limped her way to the vehicle and sat in the back seat, where the officer set Mei down, and soon enough, the car was on the road. The officer turned on the sirens and quickly drove past other cars and civilians, leaving behind many curious people.

Yuzu held onto Mei's cold hands desperately during the bumpy ride, observing how Mei's eyelids were still rapidly fluttering while her pupils were starting to dilate. Not knowing how much time was left, the blonde continued to stroke Mei's palms and silently prayed for her safety while struggling to hold back tears.

The next few minutes were a blur, as Yuzu and Mei were put onto stretchers and rolled away through the corridors. Lying on her back, Yuzu raised her arm to block the passing lights on the ceiling. She then weakly lifted up her head to see a team of three nurses pushing her stretcher, and three more workers pushing the stretcher in front of hers. Yuzu realized that Mei was placed on the other stretcher, and when she saw her getting pushed down another hallway, Yuzu reached her arm out as if she were trying to use telekinetic powers to bring Mei back to her. Unfortunately for Yuzu, Mei was rolled out of sight, and the sudden realization of their being separated started to weigh in on Yuzu. Yuzu started to weep and plead for Mei to come back to her, but her prayers were cut short as she was pushed into a smaller room with two large overhead lights installed in the center. Now beneath the two overhead lights, Yuzu noticed how there were several people with surgical masks in the room, and due to how restless and terrified Yuz was acting, she was held down before a breathing mask was placed onto her nose and mouth. Yuzu tried to sit up on the table she was on, but was unable to overpower the hands that held her down. She screamed and wept to be released and to be by Mei's side, but after awhile, her speech started to become a bit slurred, her eyelids slowly became heavier, and her body slowly became weaker. Before she knew it, she blacked out.

* * *

Mei felt something sharp penetrate the skin near her shoulder, and when she opened her eyes to see what was going on, she was met with the sight of a syringe now coming into contact with her arm. Mei felt completely numb and sore all over her body, and when she realized that she was in the hospital with two other people in the same room as her, her body jerked violently as she suddenly thought about the idea of the two workers being undercover assassins. Mei yelped in agony from the discomfort in her wounds after the sudden movement, and to make things worse, the sudden realization of the table of sharp medical tools to her side caused Mei to nearly get a heart attack.

"It's okay, it's okay. We're just going to patch up your wounds, then you can leave after a bit," one the doctors tried to soothe her.

Mei was still fidgety and incredibly nervous, and as the physician approached her to try to get her calm down, Mei weakly flailed her arms to keep the person at bay.

"She's too restless. We might have to put her to sleep," Mei heard the other person in the room say. Upon hearing those words, Mei started to freak out even more, but the first doctor shook her head no.

"Miss, there's no need to panic. We're not here to hurt you, okay? We're here to help you," the doctor said as she gently grasped Mei's hand. Mei focused her attention on the calm and caring expressions that were displayed on the person next to her, and Mei's breathing slightly slowed down. "If you're worried about your friend, she is in another room being treated. She will be just fine, and you two can see each other once the two of you are set."

Mei stared into the doctor's eyes, contemplating if she should risk letting letting her guard down to be fixed up, or if she should make a run for the door and search for Yuzu. However, as Mei thought about it more, she knew the leader of the assassin's would not have thought to hire the doctors, nurses, and the rest of the hospital workers in this facility. Feeling a little more calm and optimistic, Mei relaxed her body and closed her eyes, allowing the two health care providers to get to work. Even though she was fairly confident that the workers wouldn't backstab her, Mei couldn't help but feel a little bit tense.

Mei felt something poke at her numb shoulder, and she nearly forgot to breathe as she was still fearful about the sharp and dangerous looking tools that were currently being used on her. Mei had to constantly tell herself that the hospital workers weren't going to kill her nor Yuzu, and she also had to remind herself that if the people in the same room as her were dangerous, she would have been killed a long time ago. Still, Mei found it immensely difficult for herself to remain completely calm and unconcerned, and for the next however many minutes, she silently chanted for her and Yuzu's well-being.

* * *

Mei was surprised and shocked to see that she was still in one piece. After what had seemed like an eternity, the doctor had finished wrapping her wounds with adhesive bandages, with one wrapped tightly around her shoulder and chest, and the other on her arm. The doctor was now telling Mei about how to properly care for her injuries and how to replace the bandages, but the raven-haired woman wasn't listening. All that was stuck on her mind was Yuzu, and she so desperately wanted to see her as soon as possible.

"Where's Yuzu? I need to see her now," Mei asked impatiently, while the physician simply chuckled at her.

"She should either be finished or finishing up with her surgery, so you can check for her room number by the front desk. Since her condition requires more time and patience, she may need to stay for a week to fully heal," the doctor replied.

"W-wait, we can't stay for that long. We really need to get going," Mei said with a frown, for she was not fond of giving any lingering assassins in the town time to find her and Yuzu.

"We'll just have to hope that her condition is much better than expected. We can't really rush her recovery, or else her wounds may open up again."

Mei bit her lip and nodded, and with that discussion out of the way, the doctor taught her again about how to deal with her injuries. Once the doctor had given her a kit of bandages and various ointments, Mei was given back her bag, which thankfully hadn't been opened by anyone else. Mei stuffed the medical objects into her bag, and she stepped out of the room and into the wide corridor. After checking for Yuzu's room number, Mei searched intently through the halls of the complex. She was able to quickly find the room, but since a caretaker was currently tending to Yuzu, Mei had to wait. Frowning, Mei walked over to a bench that was adjacent to Yuzu's door and sat down. Mei waited and waited for the door to open, and she twiddled her fingers in her lap as she stared down at the white tiles of the floor. Soon enough, Mei lost track of time while waiting, and the constant tapping of her foot on the tiles was the only noise that resonated in the halls. With each passing minute, Mei became more restless, and the tapping of her foot increased to the constant bouncing of her legs, while her fingernails started to dig into her palm.

The door slowly opened to reveal the caretaker, and the worker gestured to Mei that she was allowed to enter. Mei wasted no time entering the room, and upon stepping inside, she saw Yuzu in a white gown lying on the hospital bed. Mei suddenly found herself unable to move or look anywhere else except for the woman who was on the bed, and when the caretaker closed the door behind Mei, Yuzu weakly lifted her head up to see who had entered her room. Yuzu and Mei locked eyes, and as tears started to well up from relief and gratefulness, they smiled.

* * *

 **Tbh, I was planning on having the hospital scene take place much later in the story, but hopefully this fits nicely as it is.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for your support! :) I somehow managed to finish this chapter a week before my personal deadline, but I imagine that I won't be as lucky for the future chapters because of exams and homework. I also want to mention that for the previous chapter, Mei is told that Yuzu has to stay for a week at the hospital instead of one day to make it more realistic.**

 **Also, thank you Tejot for helping me out with the beginning of the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Mei suddenly found herself unable to move or look anywhere else except for the woman who was on the bed. Yuzu and Mei locked eyes, and as tears started to well up from relief and gratefulness, they smiled.

"Mei…" Yuzu breathed out as her friend slowly approached her. Mei stopped an inch away from the bed frame, and for awhile, they simply stared at each other. In the end, Yuzu reached her left arm and hand out for Mei, and Mei accepted the gesture and held her hand. No words were necessary to communicate their concerns for each other, and as they enjoyed the warmth of each other's hands, any lingering thoughts that something disastrous would happen to each other were washed away.

Mei grabbed a nearby chair and situated it next to the bed while being sure to never break contact with Yuzu's hand. After the dark-haired woman sat down comfortably on the seat, Mei and Yuzu went back to enjoying each other's company.

Yuzu stretched her right hand out, wanting to bring Mei's face closer and caress her cheeks, but her hand changed directions midair and settled for grasping Mei's hand just like her left. Yuzu blushed a bit after thinking about what she originally wanted to do, and Mei was a bit curious about why the blonde appeared a bit bashful.

"How is your stomach? Is it feeling much better now?" Mei asked, breaking the silence.

"It feels considerably better. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt that much to talk now, and luckily it didn't hurt too much when I tried to reposition myself on the bed earlier," Yuzu replied with a smile. "What about you? How are your wounds?"

"They're still slightly numb from the injections, but other than that, it feels good not having to worry too much about constant bleeding and infections," Mei said.

"That's nice. I also see that your bruise has faded a bit," Yuzu grinned. Mei instinctively touched her finger to her cheek, as she had completely forgotten about her bruisemark. "Seems like you weren't fully conscious when they treated it. Didn't they tell you about it or how to treat it?"

"I don't think I was conscious when they treated it. That, or I had too many thoughts going on in my head to the point that I didn't realize. The physician may have told me about how to treat my face along with my shoulder and arm, but I don't think I was paying much attention." Mei scooted a bit closer to the bed. "The doctor probably gave me some vitamins and other pills along with the bandages and ointments after the treatment. I can go check later just to be sure." Mei then looked around the hospital room and realized something was missing. "Were you given a bag of these kinds of things? I don't see them anywhere."

"That's because the caretaker handles it every now and then," Yuzu replied before she leaned in closer to Mei with concerned eyes. "Mei, they told me I have to stay here for over a week. They said that the police also want to come and interview me tomorrow. I don't know if we can stay for that long." Yuzu watched as Mei's expression turned into that of a frown.

"This is not good for us. Staying for over a week will already endanger us, since I guarantee most of the assassins are residing in this town to find us. But for the police to come? That will no doubt draw more attention to us, and we'll be found out quickly as a result," Mei said as she stroked her chin with one hand.

"What should we do? Should we try to leave before the police come?" Yuzu asked with a sullen look. Mei was silent for a bit as she tried to devise a plan. She glanced at the clock as she was still pondering, and she noticed it was already nighttime.

"I think it's worth a shot to escape tonight," Mei finally replied, causing Yuzu to look a bit uncertain. "We'll have to sneak past the workers and hope that we can quickly find an exit."

"Are you sure? Isn't that pretty risky?" Yuzu asked.

"It will be more risky for us to stay, so we have to leave very soon. You'll have to quickly change clothes, and we'll leave as soon as you are ready."

"Okay...but what will we do if someone catches us in the halls?" Yuzu asked as she felt Mei's hand let go of hers to grab Yuzu's bag that was on the nightstand beside the bed. Mei placed the bag next to Yuzu, and the blonde dug through in search of clothes.

"If we're caught walking around the hallways, we can just pretend that we're simply strolling around the hospital to stretch out our legs, then we'll have to search for another exit and pray that it is left unguarded," Mei replied. "If someone actually catches us in the process of leaving the building...well...we'll just have to act all nonchalant like we are allowed to leave and let luck guide us."

"I don't know about this…" Yuzu said with uncertainty as she held a change of clothes in her hands. "Besides, where would we go if we get out of here?"

"We can't waste any time. Just put on your clothes, okay? As for where we should go...well, we need to get out of this town as soon as possible, so we should head for the train station. Once we arrive there, then we can decide what to do next," Mei said sternly.

"Alright, I guess I'll just change then..." Yuzu said quietly as she tugged at the collar of the gown she was wearing. Her cheeks flushed as she realized Mei was still watching her, and she shyly turned away. "Um, c-can you turn around?" Yuzu asked with a squeak. Mei did as asked, and Yuzu quickly took off her gown. Since she wasn't used to having another person in the same room as her when she was changing, Yuzu made sure to cover her chest with her arm even though Mei wasn't watching. Soon enough, Yuzu finished changing, and she set the hospital gown down on the bed.

'Okay, I'm ready now," Yuzu said with a slight blush.

"Okay, let's leave," Mei stated. Mei headed towards the door and opened it slightly to check for incoming people. Checking for both sides of the hall, Mei saw that the coast was clear, and she was about to head out when she realized that Yuzu wasn't behind her. "Yuzu?" Mei called out as she walked back into the room. There, she saw how Yuzu was struggling to walk as she gripped tightly onto the railings of the bed.

"Ugh, I don't know if I can walk. My stomach still hurts from moving," Yuzu said with a grimacing expression. She took very small steps toward Mei, but Mei couldn't stand to watch her struggle anymore. Noticing a collapsible wheelchair resting against the wall, Mei motioned for Yuzu to stop walking. Mei quickly walked past the blonde to grab the wheelchair, and after spending a bit of time trying to figure out how to open the wheelchair, she set it behind Yuzu.

"Sit down. I'll roll you," Mei said, and Yuzu complied. Once Yuzu was sitting comfortably on the wheelchair with her bag on her lap, Mei rolled her to the door. Mei checked for passing workers and visitors once again, and after watching two nurses stroll down the hallway and turning at an intersection, Mei and Yuzu exited the room.

"Do you know how to get out of here?" Yuzu asked while looking up and behind at Mei's face.

"I think I know, afterall I had to go to the front desk to find your room. Since we're on the second floor, we'll need to find the staircase," Mei replied.

"Staircase? Why not the elevator?" Yuzu inquired.

"There is a higher chance for us to encounter other people on the elevator. Since virtually no one uses the stairs, that will help us remain hidden," Mei replied. Yuzu nodded in understanding, and she looked forward as Mei continued to push her.

Mei rolled Yuzu down to the end of a corridor and peeked around the corner to check for more people. She saw the a person in uniform at the end of the hallway walking in their direction, so Mei quickly turned Yuzu around and rolled her in a different direction. Eventually, they came across a door with a staircase sign above it, and after passing through the door, Mei and Yuzu peered down at the rather steep set of stairs before them. Mei and Yuzu looked at each other with the same expression, both knowing how daunting it was for them to reach the bottom.

"Yuzu, I'm going to have to ask you to sit down on the floor for a minute," Mei said, and Yuzu realized what she was going to do. After assisting Yuzu onto the floor, Mei grabbed the wheelchair and hurriedly reached the bottom of the staircase where she set the wheelchair down. After that, Mei jogged her way back up to Yuzu. "Okay, I'll help you walk down the stairs." Mei gently held onto Yuzu's waist and arm, then assisted her in standing up.

Yuzu blushed furiously at how close Mei's face was next to hers as the dark-haired woman held onto her tightly. Not only that, but Mei's arm was hooked around her waist, which made Yuzu almost go limp from the soothing sensation. Shaking her head, Yuzu tried her hardest to focus on her steps as she and Mei slowly made progress on the stairs. After a minute of descending down the steps, as well as one grueling minute of Yuzu's trying to get any weird thoughts out of her head, the two finally made it down. Once Yuzu was back on the wheelchair, Mei rolled her over to the door, and after peering through the glass panel on the door to check if the coast was clear, Mei pushed Yuzu out into the hallway.

Since it was night-time, and since there were rarely any incidents in the town that required hospitalization, there were very few people walking around on the first floor. As such, Mei and Yuzu didn't have to cross paths with others, at least until they neared the hallway that led to the lobby. Across the hall from them were two nurses, and Mei and Yuzu knew it was too late for them to turn back. Luckily for them, the nurses didn't seem to recognize them from afar, so Mei was quick to think of a plan that would allow herself and Yuzu to bypass the health care workers.

"Yuzu, act like we are visitors who are heading out after meeting up with a friend," Mei whispered as she kept her eyes glued onto the two approaching nurses. Yuzu gulped from nervousness, and Mei started to roll Yuzu down the hallway. Once Mei and Yuzu were within earshot of the workers, Mei patted Yuzu on the shoulder to signal to her that it was time.

"Er, um, I really am glad that we got to see our friend...and uh, yeah," Yuzu stuttered out as her face started to become red. The nurses, who were still a couple of yards away, looked at her with a suspecting look.

"Yes, it is quite fortunate that she is still alive and well. I really hope we get to see her again tomorrow," Mei said with a calm voice, making Yuzu a bit jealous of her ability to commit to the illusion. "Once we get to the main entrance, you can't stay on the wheelchair, got it? You can't expect me to keep pushing you just because you are tired," Mei added, causing Yuzu to look at her with a questioning eye. Mei simply looked straight ahead and avoided her gaze, and when Yuzu turned back around to the nurses, the nurses resumed their own conversation and walked past them. Mei and Yuzu quickly glanced at the backs of the nurses, and they breathed a sigh of relief as their illusion actually tricked them.

Mei pushed Yuzu all the way down to the end of the hallway, and once Mei parked the wheelchair just behind the door frame that connected the corridor and the lobby, she stepped in front of the blonde to assess the situation. Sticking her head out a bit to peer around the door frame, Mei saw to her right two medical receptionists sitting behind the front desk, as well as the sliding glass doors across from the front desk that separated her and Yuzu from freedom. Mei tried to visualize an escape route, but it didn't seem like there would be any way for her and Yuzu to sneak past the workers.

"We're stuck. There are two people sitting at the front, and there is no way we can get to the exit without being seen," Mei lowered herself so she could whisper into Yuzu's ear.

"What do we do then? Should we find a way to distract them? Or should we try and fool them like we did with the two nurses just now?" Yuzu asked quietly.

"Let's make our way to the doors and nonchalantly walk out. If they realize who we are, we'll just have to sprint out of this area and either find a place to hide in, or go straight to the train station," Mei said. Yuzu was feeling especially anxious about this idea, but since she couldn't think of anything better, she decided to go along with the plan.

Mei took a deep breath in preparation, and as soon as she was about to walk behind Yuzu to push her through the room to exit through the doors, she saw two men enter the building. As soon as she saw them, Mei quickly hid herself more behind the door frame.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Yuzu asked with a curious look after seeing Mei becoming tense.

"There are two people who've just entered through the main entrance," Mei whispered as she continued to observe the strangers. "Since they are most likely going to talk to the two at the front desk, we can probably slip out more easily."

"Alright, let's go," Yuzu said. Mei left her spot behind the door frame and placed her hands on the handles of the wheelchair. She slowly rolled Yuzu beyond the doorway, but fortunately for them, the men and the receptionists didn't notice them. As they slowly moved away from the hallway, they managed to hear in on their conversation.

"...their room numbers? We're friends with them and we'd like to see how they are doing," one of the men said to the receptionists. "One of them has dark hair with purple eyes, and the other has blonde hair with emerald eyes."

Mei and Yuzu gave each other concerned looks, knowing that the stranger was describing them. They didn't really know what to think at this moment, so they concentrated on listening to the rest of the conversation.

"...take the hallway to your right, and you will soon reach an elevator. They are on the second floor in rooms XXX and YYY," one of the receptionists said. Upon hearing this, Mei and Yuzu felt goosebumps on their skin, and since the two men were being directed towards the hallway they were currently hiding in, they knew they didn't have any time to waste. Mei swiftly turned the wheelchair around and dashed through the corridor, making sure to turn at a crossroad to prevent the men from seeing them. Once she thought they were far away from the potential killers, Mei stopped pushing the wheelchair to catch her breath.

"We can probably just wait for them to use the elevator, then we can be on our merry way out through the main entrance," Yuzu suggested.

"We can't. He already described our appearances to the receptionists. If they see us leaving the hospital, they'll alert the security or police, especially since we still have yet to fill out some paperwork," Mei said breathlessly.

"Do you think there are other exits?" Yuzu asked as Mei started walking slowly while pushing the wheelchair.

"There definitely are multiple exits, but I'm not sure if we can use those. The other entrances and exits are probably only for emergency uses only, so opening the doors may or may not trigger some sort of alarm and notify the workers," Mei said.

"There's no way there is only one entrance we are allowed to go through. There has to be at least one other way out of this place. We can try and search on the other side of the building."

"I hope you're right. I'll try and find my way to the other side of the building."

Mei pushed Yuzu through several corridors that all looked completely identical, and after a few minutes of searching, Mei felt as if she was lost in the complex. While on the search, Mei and Yuzu came across other people in the hallway, and at these times, they acted like they were casually wondering around the building. Fortunately for them, no one batted an eye, so Mei and Yuzu were in the clear for continuing their objective.

After turning to the right down another hallway, Mei and Yuzu saw what seemed like a large open area just beyond the doorway at the very end. Hope that it was another reception area filled their minds, and Mei hurriedly rolled the wheelchair down the passageway. Peeking around the corner, they glanced to the side and saw a desk that was labeled "reception," with several people standing behind the desks. Across from the tables were the large glass doors that led to the outdoors, and Mei and Yuzu sighed in relief that they were finally able to leave.

"Alright, since this entrance is different from the one we came through in the afternoon, there should be no way the receptionists recognize us," Yuzu whispered to Mei.

"Okay. I'm going for the main doors now. Just act casual," Mei whispered back to Yuzu. With that, Mei started to roll Yuzu slowly across the reflective tiles of the floor. Yuzu was pretending to busy herself by inspecting her nails and sitting with a leg crossed to appear like she wasn't seriously injured. Mei, on the other hand, kept her eyes glued on the large automatic doors that were getting closer and closer. With each passing second, their hearts were pounding faster and faster as they were anxious and curious about if the receptionists suspect anything of them. However, all their concerns were washed away as they stepped through the doors into the warm, humid air of the outdoors. Yuzu audibly exhaled with relief, while Mei relaxed her tense arms and shoulders.

"Whew, we actually got out of there!" Yuzu exclaimed with a toothy grin. " And it's a good thing we managed to get out of there before those two guys could do anything to us. I kinda wonder how they figured out we were in the hospital?"

"Indeed. Let's head over to the train station for now. We don't have time to lose," Mei said as she rolled Yuzu across the street onto the sidewalk. As they passed several spotlights emitted by the lampposts, they saw that there were still a number of civilians walking beneath the starry night sky. Being sure not to risk getting attacked from these people, Mei led Yuzu through the walkways with fewer people on them.

"Now, where exactly is the train station?" Yuzu wondered aloud as she stretched her arms and legs on the wheelchair. "It would be great if there were city maps posted on the bus stops and whatnot."

"Let's go check to make sure," Mei replied as she squinted in the dark for any sign of a bus stop. Soon enough, her eyes stopped atop a short structure with a roof over a bench, and she pushed the wheelchair down the sidewalk in its direction.

The bus stop was devoid of people, so Mei and Yuzu didn't have to worry about coming into contact with a criminal. Stopping beneath the roof, Mei's eyes adjusted to the lighting of the surface of the structure, and she was relieved to see a large map attached to the wall. She brought her hand to her chin as she inspected the routes and the settlements on the map, while Yuzu tried her best to gaze at the map from below on the wheelchair. Finally, Mei found the train station on the map, and after realizing that she and Yuzu weren't too far away, Mei grabbed onto the handles of the wheelchair and started pushing Yuzu away.

Fortunately, the walk to the train station was uneventful for Mei and Yuzu. They encountered several more civilians on the streets, but the townspeople didn't pay them any attention. Still being cautious, Mei and Yuzu hid behind a large sign after walking past the parking lot of the train station, and they surveyed their surroundings for any signs of villainy. Their eyes wandered onto the families and lone people who entered through the main entrance of the building, and their eyes wandered on the few loiterers who were either reading from a newspaper, browsing their phones, or simply staring out into the parking lot. Mei and Yuzu's intuition told them that these laggards were to be treated with the highest level of caution, and at that point, they knew that entering through the main entrance was too risky. Wanting to avoid entering through those doors, Mei and Yuzu searched for other entrances, only to realize that each of the entrances would be under watch as well. Thoughts of some of the assassins already being inside the building also made the situation appear more intense and nerve racking.

"What should we do? Should we go in?" Yuzu asked quietly while looking up at Mei.

"I don't know. The more I think about it, the more I think we should take a different approach to escaping this place," Mei responded.

"But if we don't take the train, then how will we get out? We don't have a way to call for a ride either."

"What if we go to an electronic store and purchase a mobile phone? That should allow us to call for a ride, right?" Mei suggested.

"That could work. Let's just hope that the shops are open," Yuzu whispered, and Mei turned the wheelchair around and started rolling it away. As Mei slowly pushed Yuzu down the sidewalk towards the end of the parking lot, Yuzu glanced behind one last time at the train station to acknowledge how close she and Mei were to freedom. As she looked on at the front doors of the building, Yuzu noticed how three of the loiterers were looking in their direction. Yuzu rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing things clearly, and once she saw the men leave their posts in their direction, Yuzu gasped. Mei looked behind to see what could have caused Yuzu to react this way, and the moment she saw the approaching men, Mei quickly pushed the wheelchair down the sidewalk as fast as her legs could move.

A sleek, black car suddenly pulled up next to the curb a little bit ahead of Mei and Yuzu, and two more pursuers emerged from the car, leaving the vehicle running and the car doors open. Mei had to abruptly stop in her track and turn to the side onto the pavement of the parking lot to avoid the assassins, and at that point, Mei and Yuzu felt as if their hearts were threatening to burst from their chests.

Mei quickly glanced behind to see that the many pursuers were quickly gaining up on her, with some of the chasers drawing their guns. Knowing that they couldn't outrun the men and that they would eventually get gunned down, Mei started to weave in between the parked cars in hopes that the vehicles would provide some safety. However, the adrenaline and fear of the situation made Mei feel a little lightheaded and overwhelmed, and she started slowing down as a result. Mei's eyes started to wander around due to the dizziness, but the instant she glanced down at Yuzu, she remembered the guns in the bags.

"Yuzu, take out your gun and cover me!" Mei exclaimed as she started to circle around several cars. Almost forgetting she had weapons in her bag, Yuzu quickly and shakily reached into her bag and pulled out the handgun. She remembered to set the safety mechanism off, then she twisted her waist to get a better aim at the assassins. The maneuver caused Yuzu to grunt in pain, but she had to fight the stinging for both her and Mei's sake. Her hands were still shaking uncontrollably as she pointed the gun past Mei's body, and once she felt she was aimed at the clumped-up group of pursuers who emerged from behind the parked cars, she fired. Yuzu nearly forgot the power of the recoil and barely managed to hold onto the weapon, while the bullet managed to strike an individual in the thigh and caused him to scream.

"Shit, they have a gun!" Cries and shouts broke out in the parking lot, while the shrieking of bystanders echoed through the air.

Mei quickly glanced back to see that the pack of criminals slowed down and gave her and Yuzu more space. While this was relieving, Mei's heart was still beating at an absurdly fast tempo, and she turned her head back to rapidly scan the area for a way to escape. So far, running out into the open and away from the train station was out of the picture, as the assassins could easily shoot them from behind. She then thought out taking the chance to enter the building, but then realized that the ruckus would cause the services to be placed on hold, not to mention the danger brought onto the innocent. Mei was running out of ideas, but since she was circling the parking lot, she neared the unlocked car that belonged to the assassins. Realizing that the car was their only chance at escape, Mei sprinted towards the car by the curb, and Yuzu realized what she was going for.

"Yuzu, take the driver's seat. I'll try and fend them off from the passenger seat," Mei exclaimed as she stopped beside the opened door to the driver's seat.

"Wait, I don't know how to drive! You should take the wheel!" Yuzu said, causing Mei to frown. "Don't tell me you don't know how to drive either!"

"I've never learned how to drive either, since my family always hires a chauffeur," Mei replied. Just then, the shouting of the assassins grew closer, and Mei knew she didn't have time to waste. She pushed Yuzu over to the passenger side and set Yuzu onto the seat before quickly making her way over to the other side of the car and sitting in the driver's seat. As Mei sat down behind the wheel, she breathed a sigh of relief that the car key was still in the ignition.

"Wait, are you sure we should be driving this thing?" Yuzu asked as she ducked her head below the window of the car.

"Back then, I used to always watch the chauffeur drive, so I'm going to try to replicate what he did," Mei replied as she looked over all the buttons, the gear stick and pedals. The vast control scheme puzzled Mei a bit, but then she remembered she had to switch the car from park to drive. Placing her hand on the gear stick, she looked at the many labels of the gear stick and tried to set it to the appropriate level. However, when Mei found that the gear shift wasn't budging, she started to panic.

"Mei, we really have to get moving!" Yuzu shouted as she saw the criminals come into view. She then fired wildly out the window and missed most of her targets.

"I'm trying to set the car to drive, but it doesn't seem to be working," Mei said breathlessly as she tried to force the gear shift. Mei's foot unintentionally stepped on the brakes as she wrestled with the handle, which caused the gear shift to move to the desired position. Then, as her foot lifted up from the brake, the car started to move slowly on its own, causing Mei and Yuzu to look surprised. Mei then grasped onto the wheel with both hands while looking out the windshield, then realized that she needed to step on the gas. She tried to peer at the pedals below, but it was too dark for her to see. Instead, Mei had to rely on touch, and once her foot stepped down on the gas, the car violently jerked forward, causing her and Yuzu's hearts to skip a beat.

After recomposing herself from the momentum of the car, Yuzu observed how the assassins were starting to retreat due to her erratic shooting and aiming. Some of the pursuers were running away, while others tried to take cover behind the parked vehicles while aiming at her. Yuzu pulled the trigger again, but realized that she was out of ammo. Since her mind wasn't entirely focused due to the adrenaline and horror, Yuzu didn't think to reload her gun and instead started to hyperventilate.

Mei applied a bit too much pressure to the gas, causing the car to accelerate over the curb and onto the sidewalk. Mei quickly pressed on the brakes, causing her and Yuzu to shoot forward in their seats, then rapidly turned the wheel so the car was moving back onto the street. Mei stepped on the gas again with much more control, and she was able to maneuver the car to the end of the parking lot. Mei quickly looked out the window to see that the assassins were far away, but when she returned her attention back to where she was driving, she nearly collided with another car at an intersection. Due to her inexperience with driving, Mei struggled to determine how much she should turn the wheel to move left or right, and as a result, the car approached another walkway at a 45 degree angle and nearly hit the few civilians taking a late night stroll. What's worse was that Mei accidentally pressed on the gas instead of the brakes, so the car ended up hitting the side of a metal pole. Yuzu held onto the grab handles for dear life, while Mei turned the wheel even more to make the car drive away from the pole and onto the road.

"Mei, just take it slow, okay?" Yuzu said with a trembling voice, and Mei lifted her foot a bit on the pedal so the car wasn't moving as fast.

Fortunately, there were very few cars out on the streets at night, so Mei didn't have to worry too much about crashing. At the traffic lights, Mei would often either brake too early or a bit late, causing her to almost crash into the cars in front of her. While driving, if a car was in front of her, Mei would always drive about seven seconds behind to avoid accidentally speeding into the trunk of the car, and if there were cars driving behind her, the other drivers would end up honking before cutting in front of her since Mei drove significantly below the speed limit. After half an hour of wandering around the town while barely getting the twists and turns of the roads under control, Mei and Yuzu finally arrived at a path that seemed to lead away from the town.

The freeway was virtually empty, much to Mei and Yuzu's luck. For the few instances where other cars were in the vicinity, the other drivers would just switch lanes and cut in front, leaving Mei to relax a little. Mei and Yuzu's hearts slowed down to a slightly higher than average heart rate, and they both felt like they could finally take deep breaths. Other than that, the car ride was silent, and Mei and Yuzu had nothing to do but look out to the endless road ahead of them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for the support as always!**

 **This chapter is going to be a bit shorter than usual, but I hope you don't mind.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Yuzu groaned as she woke up, the bright orange of the sun easily penetrating the thin folds of skin on her eyelids. First sitting up straight in her seat while rubbing her eyes, Yuzu then arched her back to get rid of the stiffness in her muscles. She lowered the sun visor in the car so she wouldn't be continuously blinded by the sunlight, and after yawning aloud and slowly being able to open her eyes more, she looked out the window to realize that the car was parked at a gas station in the middle of a highway. First peering over at the side-view mirror to see that the tires of the vehicles were overlapping the white lines of the parking spot, Yuzu then realized that the vicinity was relatively empty.

Hearing the sound of light breathing to her right, Yuzu looked in the direction of the driver's seat and noticed how Mei was sunk back in her seat with her eyelids closed and her upper body threatening to tip over to the side. Staring at the sleeping woman's face, Yuzu was suddenly reminded of the events that had occurred the previous night. Feeling that her heart was beating faster as she recollected the hellfire at the train station, Yuzu closed her eyes, repeatedly telling herself that she and Mei survived and that all the danger was left behind. After inhaling and exhaling deeply for several minutes, Yuzu was a little more relaxed, and once she opened her eyes and looked at Mei again, a slight smile appeared on Yuzu's face.

Yuzu picked up her bag that was beside her feet and dug through to see if there was anything to eat or drink. Disappointed by the lack of sustenance, and after hearing her stomach growl loudly, which caused her to grimace a bit, Yuzu glanced out the window toward the gas station store a few yards away. Yuzu decided that she would take the chance to buy some food and water for herself and Mei, and after deeming it safe for her to leave Mei alone in the car, Yuzu exited the vehicle and walked through the glass door of the gas station store. Fortunately, the pain in her stomach was significantly more tolerable than before, but since she was still slightly concerned about accidentally tearing open her cut, Yuzu walked slowly through the store while clutching her abdomen with her hand. She wandered through the aisles of the building, looking at the stacks of gum, potato chips, chocolate, magazines, and the refrigerators lined with water, milk, and soft drinks. While scanning for suitable food and drinks, Yuzu looked out the windows of the store every now and then to see if the car and Mei were still there. Fortunately for her, the car remained as she last saw it, and there were still no other visitors in the parking lot.

Yuzu picked up a family-sized bag of crackers, and after taking two water bottles from the fridge, she decided to go to the checkout section. She laid the items on the counter and watched as the person behind the cash register scanned the objects, and once her items were placed into a plastic bag, Yuzu was set. Before heading out of the store, Yuzu quickly went to the restroom since it had been many hours since she last used one, and once she was finished, she headed out of the front door toward the parked car.

Half-expecting Mei to be missing, Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief when she opened the car door to see that Mei was still sleeping soundly behind the wheel. After sitting comfortably in her seat and closing the door, Yuzu dug into the plastic bag and pulled out the bag of crackers. While eating, Yuzu stared out the windshield and watched the blazing fast vehicles on the highway. As she listened to the constant relaxing "woosh" sound each time a car passed by, her eyes slowly drifted upwards to the sky to see that the dark blue was slowly being overtaken by the yellow of the sunlight.

Yuzu didn't know when, but she realized that her eyes were set on Mei's face. Almost as if she were in a trance, as if she were graced with the presence of an angel, Yuzu brought her hand to Mei's face and gently brushed aside her hair. Mei made a mumbling sound and leaned into Yuzu's touch while in her sleep, causing the blonde to unable to resist a smile. Yuzu's cheeks reddened, and she took Mei's left hand with her right and held it, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin. Deciding that she would wait for Mei to recover from her lack of sleep, Yuzu continued to hold her hand as she looked out the window to patrol.

Almost another hour had passed. Still holding onto Mei's hand, Yuzu simply stared at the peaceful expression in the dark-haired woman's face. The longer Yuzu stared at her, the more she felt something strange and unexplainable build up inside of her, and soon enough, Yuzu found herself leaning over the cupholders in the car, closer to Mei. Yuzu's head was resting against Mei's shoulder, and as much as the blonde wanted to leave Mei alone to let her sleep peacefully, she did not want to betray this wonderful feeling in her heart. In the end, lust won. Making herself comfortable against Mei, Yuzu hugged Mei's arm close to her chest.

The occasional car stopped by the gas station to refuel, but fortunately for Yuzu, the visitors didn't stay for a long period of time. Since no one seemed to care about them, Yuzu didn't have to worry about being approached by a stranger and potentially getting harmed.

After awhile, Yuzu heard the sound of groaning to her right, and when she felt Mei's arm and torso moving, Yuzu froze still, her eyes wide open. Mei rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her right hand, and after realizing that something was attached to her left arm, she looked to see Yuzu's nervous grin.

"Oh, uh, Mei! This is a misunderstanding! It's not what you think, okay?" Yuzu exclaimed as she swiftly separated from Mei and sat back on her side of the car. She waited for a response from Mei, but the woman remained silent. Instead, Mei gently stroked her arm that Yuzu previously held, and with a hint of red on her cheeks, she then looked out the window and carried on like nothing had happened.

"How are you feeling after last night?" Mei asked as she looked back at Yuzu.

"After last night? Well, I certainly feel much better. I can't believe we went through all of that," Yuzu replied with a deep sigh.

"How about your stomach? Has it healed?"

"Luckily, I was able to walk around awhile ago without too much trouble. It still hurts a bit, and I probably have to replace the bandages that the caretaker put on me," Yuzu said as she placed her hand on her abdomen. "What about you? I'm sorry I couldn't stay awake while you were driving. It must've been really stressful, and you still must be exhausted after driving for this long and this far."

"I still feel the adrenaline from yesterday, but otherwise I feel just fine. Fortunately, the roads weren't too busy, so I didn't have to deal with switching lanes and being as careful about accelerating and braking. After driving for that long, I think I'm starting to understand the fundamentals of driving," Mei replied.

"Are you sure you aren't still exhausted? If you want to, you can lie down in the backseat. That should at least help a bit."

"That will be unnecessary. For now, we should eat something and find out where we are and how to get to Tokyo."

"Actually, I just bought us a huge bag of crackers. You should try some." Yuzu placed the bag in between their seats, and Mei gave her a look of surprise and gratitude. Mei then reached her hand into the bag as Yuzu watched with interest, and as Mei was about to bite into the cracker, she paused and looked at Yuzu from the corner of her eye. Yuzu coughed awkwardly and turned away from Mei, and Mei managed to resist a chuckle from the interaction.

Mei and Yuzu took turns fetching and eating from the bag, and Yuzu also handed Mei her water bottle she had bought from the store. Slowly but surely, their energy was returning, and when Yuzu peeked at the amount of food left, she knew she would need to buy more later. Then suddenly, a thought struck her mind. From the corner of her eye, Yuzu observed Mei's hand reaching into the bag to eat, and when she saw how Mei's hand was deep inside, Yuzu stuck her hand in as well. Their hands touched, giving Yuzu the ecstatic feeling she knew she would feel upon touching Mei. Mei raised an eyebrow and looked at Yuzu puzzlingly, and once Yuzu took the time to look back at her thoughts and actions, she blushed furiously and ripped her hand away.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!" Yuzu exclaimed, her face becoming bright red. _What the heck WAS I thinking? Why did I suddenly do that?_ Yuzu waited for a response from Mei, but the blonde couldn't read her facial expressions.

"Let's finish up and get ready to leave," was all Mei said, causing Yuzu to feel confused and slightly relieved that she wouldn't be scolded.

Feeling satisfied after filling up their stomachs, Mei and Yuzu put away the little food that was left. They left the car and walked into the small store, where Yuzu bought chips and more water, while Mei quickly used the restroom. After asking the cashier about their location and Tokyo, the two women exited the building and got into the car. They placed the bought goods into their drawstring bags, then they left.

* * *

After hours of following the green signs on the freeway for directions, and after hours of constantly hearing honking and angry yelling, Mei and Yuzu finally saw what looked like skyscrapers many kilometers away. Yuzu enthusiastically cheered inside the car, while Mei simply breathed out a sigh of relief that they were finally getting close to their destination. Eventually, they passed a toll road and were soon enough in the shadows of the colossal buildings.

Driving within the city walls brought back distressing thoughts of the situation at hand. Even though they figured that most of the assassins were left behind at the rustic town, Mei and Yuzu remained cautious as there was a chance that some of the delinquents stayed behind. The glaring problem now was that in this bustling city, any of the thousands, even millions of people could be killers. Constantly being on the lookout in the midst of the large crowds of civilians was an overwhelming thought, and they weren't particularly looking forward to stepping outside of the safety of the car later.

The wild flashing of red and blue lights accompanied by the blaring of sirens caused Mei and Yuzu to jump in their seats. When Mei and Yuzu looked behind and realized that a police car was specifically tailing them, two things popped into their minds: either they obey the cop and pull over to avoid trouble, or they drive away in case the cop was a double crosser. In the end, Mei decided that evading the police officer would be too daunting and strenuous a task, so she maneuvered the vehicle to the curb of the street. Once the car was parked, Mei kept her eyes and hands locked on the steering wheel. Yuzu noticed the fear in her eyes, knowing exactly how she was feeling, and when the blonde looked at the side-view mirror, Yuzu saw that the police officer was walking their way. Taking a deep breath and hoping to keep Mei safe, Yuzu kicked her drawstring bag that was beside her feet, closer to herself to prepare the gun.

"Excuse me, do you know why I p-" the police officer said, peering inside the car before a look of surprise formed on his face. His eyes switched back and forth from Mei to Yuzu, and the officer pointed his finger at them knowingly, causing Mei and Yuzu to sweat and their hearts to pound heavily. "You two are alive! Thank goodness!"

Mei and Yuzu both sighed in relief, glad that the man didn't seem to want to inflict harm on them. Still somewhat worried about what was going to happen next, or that the officer was faking his reaction to trick them, the two women didn't completely let their guard down.

"The investigators are still trying to determine the identities and locations of the convicts and the employer, so you two need to come to the police station as soon as possible. There, you will receive protection, and you two can give us any information you have," the officer said.

"W-wait, how can we trust that none of the police officers are secretly trying to kill us?" Yuzu spoke up, noticing that Mei was still silent and tense.

"We've been very serious with questioning and investigating each member of the police force to see if anyone could be linked to the crimes, but so far everyone seems to be truthful," the officer replied. "I realize that you two may not feel completely safe with us, but I can't stress enough that all of your inputs will be beneficial to the investigation and should quickly lead to the arrest of all the perpetrators."

"What do you think? Should we go with him?" Yuzu asked, turning towards Mei.

"Well, we do have crucial evidence, and we did come back to Tokyo with the intent to go to the police station, so I suppose we can trust him for now," Mei said after taking a couple of seconds to think.

"Alright. Please follow me to the cruiser." The officer stepped away from the car door and spoke into the radio on his shoulder to report the situation. Once Mei and Yuzu had collected their items and climbed into the backseat of the police car, they left. Throughout the ride, Mei and Yuzu stared intently at the policeman, hoping that he was a truthful person and that their visit to the police station would finally turn the tides.

* * *

Sitting at table in a small room, Mei and Yuzu waiting patiently for a man in a suit and tie to prepare his documents and files. When the detective was ready and requested for all the information that could be helpful to the investigation, Mei and Yuzu recounted the past few weeks and explained how after fleeing Tokyo, the assassins still managed to track them down. They mentioned the mysterious figure in the alleyway from many weeks ago and came to the conclusion that there were spies for the assassins, and once they discussed the traumatic night in the forest and how they narrowly escaped death while trying to get back to Tokyo, Mei and Yuzu opened their bags and presented the wallets, phones, and weapons they had collected. The detective quickly jotted down all the information onto his notepad, and after leaving the room to consult with his colleagues, the detective returned with the news that Mei and Yuzu were to stay in a temporary apartment building with three undercover police officers stationed near them for protection. The detective explained that while the two women would remain under the protection of the undercover police officers, the investigators would do everything they can with the evidence to quickly apprehend the criminals. After reluctantly accepting the terms of the investigation, Mei and Yuzu were given the phone numbers and addresses of the three cops in case they needed to leave the apartment, or if there was any problem that required immediate attention.

Mei and Yuzu were escorted out of the station by the three undercover cops, and after stepping inside one of the vehicles, they were driven away towards their new temporary home. Unbeknownst to them, standing many meters away from the police station was a person who watched them from afar with intense eyes, clenched fists, and an insatiable lust for blood.

* * *

Upon stepping onto the wooden floor of the apartment, the blonde and the dark-haired woman quickly shut the front door, set up the alarms, and closed all the windows. Once they were done with the precautionary setups, and once they set their clothes and bags in the one small bedroom in the apartment, the two women exhaustedly plopped onto the brown sofa that was right next to the small kitchen. For the next ten minutes, Mei and Yuzu remained silent and motionless on the piece of furniture, slowly regaining their strength and stamina.

"Yuzu, do you mind helping me change my bandages?" Mei spoke up, breaking the silent atmosphere.

"I don't mind. Just guide me while I do it, okay?" Yuzu replied as she stood up to go fetch Mei's bag along with the medical kit. When she returned to the sofa, Yuzu blushed a bit as she saw how Mei was lifting her shirt up to reveal the old bandages that were wrapped tightly around her injured shoulder and chest, as well as the gauze that was on her arm. After setting down the tools she would need very shortly, Yuzu faced Mei, being careful not to let her eyes descend down onto the mounds of Mei's _area_. It was a battle of mental fortitude and inner desires, a battle that made her sweat with nervousness and embarrassment. Yuzu tried her hardest to focus on the bandage that was wrapped around the sternum, and as she slowly unveiled the strip of cloth, revealing more of Mei's skin, Yuzu had to look away with immensely red cheeks. It was grueling, to say the least, as Yuzu had to unwrap many more layers of the bandaging. After a minute had passed, Yuzu finally unwrapped the last of the bandage and disposed of it in the trash.

"Okay, now use a clean, wet washcloth to clean up the wound," Mei instructed, watching as Yuzu nodded her head and left beet red to find a suitable cloth. Once Yuzu found a clean washcloth and went back to Mei, she gently and carefully dabbed Mei's shoulder before retreating her hand when she heard a slight grunt of pain. "Don't worry about me, just focus on cleaning the wound," Mei said.

"Alright. Just let me know if it continues to hurt." Yuzu stuck her tongue out as she concentrated hard on wiping Mei's skin, and when she felt that the injury was clean, Yuzu fetched a dry towel and patted the wound. After applying the ointment and picking up a roll of bandages, Yuzu gulped before moving closer to Mei to get better positioning. Seeing the pink undergarment directly in front of her face as she got closer to Mei, Yuzu quickly turned away and tried her best to focus on wrapping Mei's shoulder. Many thoughts were swirling inside Yuzu's head, and the longer she was wrapping the bandage around Mei, the more she felt she would faint from the dizzying effect Mei's body and her sweet scent had on her.

Mei observed how embarrassed Yuzu seemed as she finished bandaging up her shoulder. After hearing the blonde stutter wildly that she would move onto the arm next, Mei found herself drawn to Yuzu's shaking hands, the way her teeth bit on her lower lip, and the deep concern in her majestic emerald eyes. The way Yuzu put the utmost care in removing the gauze and cleaning her arm made Mei warm in her cheeks, and when they locked eyes for a fraction of a second, Mei couldn't quite figure out why her heart felt as if it skipped a beat. Soon enough, she was lost in her thoughts, her brain unable to comprehend and ascertain why she was feeling so strange and so fluttery.

"Mei, I finished," Yuzu said, snapping Mei back to attention.

"Th-thank you, Yuzu," Mei said, her brain struggling to formulate words.

The room was quiet once again as they looked away from each other with flushed faces.

"W-would you like me to help you with your bandages?" Mei suddenly asked.

"Yeah, I'd really like that," Yuzu said before raising an eyebrow. "Wait, but wouldn't that mean that we have to use the ones given to you? I don't want you to run out of it so quickly."

"Your health is more important than caring about if the bandages run out sooner. Besides, we can simply buy some more today or tomorrow."

"Okay then. If you really don't mind, then I'd greatly appreciate your help."

Mei waited as Yuzu slowly rolled the bottom of her shirt up. Once the bandage on Yuzu's stomach was exposed, Mei slowly peeled off the wrapping to avoid irritating the gash. As she maneuvered her arms around Yuzu's waist, Mei scooted a bit closer to Yuzu on the sofa, causing the latter to look to the side out of timidness.

"I want you to lie down on the sofa as I unwrap the last of the bandage. I don't want you to accidentally get hurt," Mei said with a stern voice, and Yuzu complied. Mei kneeled down on the floor beside Yuzu's abdomen so she could help Yuzu more easily. Once the wrapping was completely off, Mei began to carefully wipe off the dried blood with a clean washcloth. As Mei applied very light pressure to the wound while cleaning, Yuzu managed to suppress a yelp from the strange and uncomfortable numbness. After awhile, Mei used some of her surgical bandages to tightly wrap Yuzu's stomach, and once that was done, Mei looked at a nearby clock. "It's starting to get a bit late now. Should we quickly visit the supermarket for dinner?"

"Actually, I don't really want to leave the apartment today. I kinda just want to hang back and relax," Yuzu said sheepishly. "We can buy some ingredients tomorrow, and since we have a kitchen, I can cook you something whenever you're hungry!"

"Thanks, but I'd rather you not waste all of the money on expensive ingredients and instead be a bit more conservative."

"Aw, come on! I promise I won't use up too much of our money!"

"I hope so. Remember that we also need water and more medical supplies, too."

"Don't worry, I won't be hasty with shopping like usual. Since we're staying here for tonight, shall we just eat the chips for dinner?" Yuzu inquired.

"That will suffice. Afterwards, we can go to sleep early to compensate for the little sleep we had."

At the dinner table, Mei and Yuzu took turns eating from the bag of chips. As they ate in silence, they both felt relieved and somewhat normal for once, since it seemed like they were roommates who were living together in a safe environment. What's more, given how long they've stayed with each other and everything they've been through, residing in the small but cozy apartment was very enjoyable change of pace.

Feeling the effects of sleep deprivation kicking in, Mei and Yuzu turned off the lights and headed towards the bedroom. Skipping the shower for today, since they both had just recently replaced their bandages, the blonde and the dark-haired woman climbed under the covers of the queen sized bed. Although there was a decent amount of space on the bed for two people, Mei and Yuzu were lying away from the edges of the bed and closer to the center.

"Goodnight, Mei," Yuzu whispered, turning her head towards Mei.

"Goodnight, Yuzu," Mei said, facing the ceiling and closing her eyes.

Yuzu continued to face Mei in the dark room. She bit down on her lips, wanting to talk more with Mei, but couldn't bring herself to disturb the dark-haired woman. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness and to the outline of Mei's body on the bed, Yuzu found herself unable to tear her eyes away from her face, for reasons unknown even to herself. Then her vision was focused on the subtle rising and falling of Mei's chest, the rhythmic motion having an intoxicating effect on her. Her face flushed, coupled with an ambiguous feeling in her chest, Yuzu was once again left confused. She couldn't quite put it into words, but the one thing she was absolutely certain about was that being with Mei brought her an indescribable, mysterious, yet oddly heartwarming feeling.

 _Mei…_

Yuzu brought her hand to her heart and sighed deeply.

 _Why do I feel so strange? Why is it that I always feel this way around you?_

Yuzu looked back at Mei's face, her eyes slowly drifting towards her soft lips.

 _I wonder…_

There was something about them that seemed so intriguing, something that drew Yuzu closer.

... _how they would feel…_

Yuzu brought her fingers to her own lips, her body heating up steadily.

 _...against mine._

Yuzu's eyes widened, and she turned onto her side away from Mei. She couldn't believe she had been thinking about something like that.

 _Why can't I stop looking at you? Why can't I stop thinking about you? Why do I feel like I'm so drawn towards you?_

Yuzu suddenly gulped, her palms getting sweaty and her heart pounding frantically. She shook her head in an attempt to erase her thoughts, to tell herself that it couldn't be true, but the lingering feeling in her heart couldn't be turned away.

 _I...I don't ...think of you that way. There is no way...no way...that I'm in love...right?_

* * *

In a dim and quiet room, a man was pacing back and forth in front of a wide table. His low mumbling sounded like an ancient curse, his growls escalating in intensity as if a volcano were about to erupt. He suddenly slammed his fists on the table, then violently pushed aside the books and piles of paper, onto the floor.

"How did it come to this? How did they survive for this long?" The man grabbed his tie and loosened it a bit. "Damn those idiots. I paid you all for a reason! I paid you all to kill two easy targets, not to demonstrate your incompetence!" The man then looked at his phone that was on his desk. The anger boiling inside him was steadily rising, and he wanted to shout in rage and destroy something. "Aihara and her friend must have done something at the police station, so that means I don't have much time. Damnit. Even outside of business, your family continues to screw me over." The man briefly brushed his brown hair in annoyance, then picked up his phone. He would make sure that the few remaining assassins would complete their new, altered objective.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for the support, and sorry for the delay!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

The constant squeaking of shopping carts filled the ears of those wandering through the aisles of a supermarket. Following closely behind Yuzu, who had a look of excitement while gazing at the various products on the shelves, Mei yawned in boredom as she waited for the shopping trip to be finished. Quickly glancing over her shoulder, Mei noted the bearded man with a baseball cap, the man with an oversized hoodie that partially blocked his face, and the brunette woman who sported a bob cut while wearing a surgical mask; these were the undercover cops assigned to Mei and Yuzu, and the three were walking randomly about the supermarket while maintaining a close enough distance to intervene should something happen.

"Hey, Mei, are you good with spicy things? I really want to show you one of the recipes that my mom taught me," Yuzu asked.

"It shouldn't matter. Just don't go over the budget, alright? We need to conserve as much money as possible." Mei replied, earning a pout from the blonde. Mei sighed, then turned away from Yuzu. "If we have more money and time, you can buy whatever you want."

"Aw, okay. Guess I'll have to make slight alterations to dinner tonight."

"You shouldn't feel so bummed. Considering how we haven't had anything decent to eat for a long time, your cooking should be delicious."

"You really think so?" Yuzu asked with a hopeful voice, and she received a nod from Mei. Yuzu smiled in response to Mei's support, but then, the fear and confusion from last night suddenly creeped into her mind. The cruel, anguishing imaginations made her feel cold and sick, and, desperately wanting to deny her emotions and cravings, Yuzu turned away in an attempt to force her mind off of Mei and resume her shopping. Despite all of Yuzu's efforts, the thoughts still dwelled inside of her, screaming at her, and at one point, the pounding of her heart was going so fast that Yuzu had to stop and clutch her chest.

"Yuzu, is everything alright?" Mei asked, placing her hand on the blonde's shoulder to grab her attention.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah! Everything is just fine," Yuzu said, quickly removing her hand from her chest and grinning forcefully.

"Are you sure? You looked like you were in pain, especially with you clutching your chest."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. Um, let's finish up our shopping trip, then we can go home!" Yuzu answered, her hands behind her back to appear more confident and relaxed. Not giving Mei any time to respond, Yuzu hurriedly walked away from the confused woman and towards the refrigerated section of the supermarket. There, she briefly closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm herself.

There was tension between Yuzu and Mei as they finished collecting the ingredients and beverages they needed. They were silent as they reached the checkout counter, and by the time they were outside on the streets, they still hadn't exchanged any words. Yuzu was looking down at the ground as she walked in deep thought, while Mei, who was a couple steps behind, watched the blonde with curiosity and worry. She couldn't quite place why Yuzu was acting so strangely, but since Yuzu appeared to be avoiding her, the dark-haired woman didn't bother confronting her.

* * *

The only time Yuzu showed enthusiasm and actually stopped avoiding Mei was when they neared an electronic store. After visiting the store due to Yuzu's pestering about getting phones for emergencies and whatnot, they returned to their apartment. Sitting on the couch, Mei peered down at the black flip phone in her hand. She didn't feel it was necessary to obtain such a thing, but since Yuzu was so adamant about phones, Mei agreed to buy them but only if they were inexpensive and if Yuzu promised to use hers sparingly.

Mei sighed in boredom and looked out the window to observe that the light outside was getting dimmer. She wished she had a book to read in order to pass time, and she made a mental note to visit the bookstore when she and Yuzu would inevitably have to buy more supplies. Having nothing else to do, Mei glanced behind at the kitchen, where Yuzu was busy preparing their dinner. Her eyes wandered onto the blonde's hands, which were skillfully maneuvering the pans on the stove. She watched the way Yuzu beat eggs, the way she delicately added seasoning to the meat, and the way she handled the spinach. There was something oddly therapeutic about watching Yuzu as she worked effortlessly in the kitchen. Soon enough, Mei's eyes were trailing up Yuzu's arms, past the fabric of her rolled up sleeves, past the unbuttoned shirt collar that exposed the top of her sternum, to her face. The slight curve of Yuzu's lips as she excitedly prepared their dinner was stimulating. Almost like a child adoring his or her gift beneath the Christmas tree, Mei stared for far too long at Yuzu's lips, and when Mei realized she hadn't blinked a single time since she first started watching Yuzu, her eyes drifted upwards towards those sparkling green gems. Simultaneously, Yuzu looked up from the kitchen counter towards Mei, and when they made eye contact, both women looked away from each other with scarlet cheeks. Mei placed her right hand on her cheek in response to the heat she felt, while Yuzu gulped and attempted to alleviate the racing thoughts in her mind by focusing on her work.

When the sunlight was completely overtaken by the darkness, Yuzu distributed white rice, the fish, the spinach, and the eggs into two bowls.

"Mei, dinner is ready!" Yuzu said as she placed the bowls onto the dining table, her enthusiasm replacing her uneasiness from earlier. Wordlessly, Mei stood up from the couch and joined Yuzu at the table. "I couldn't go all out like usual, but I hope you will still like it!"

"Thank you for preparing dinner for us." Mei took the first bite as Yuzu watched with a hopeful smile. Mei had an unreadable expression as she ate, making Yuzu slightly worried.

"How is it? Does it taste good?" Yuzu asked.

"It tastes just fine," Mei replied plainly. After noticing Yuzu's pout, Mei raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"Ah nothing. I was just hoping that you'd really really like my cooking." Yuzu took a bite from her own bowl.

"What makes you think that I didn't like your cooking? Your dish isn't bad whatsoever."

"Its...its just that I was expecting a more...you know…" Yuzu waved her hands around in a circular motion to try to convey her thoughts, but after seeing Mei's blank expression, she gave up. "Nevermind. I'm not making sense, am I?"

"I think I understand what you are saying. Don't worry, your cooking is good, and I like it. In fact, I am excited to see what else you can make."

"Really?" Yuzu received a nod from Mei, and her pout turned back into a slight grin. With her enthusiasm back, Yuzu took colossal bites from her dinner, while the edges of Mei's lips contorted upwards to the slightest degree. Staring at the merry person across from her, Mei soon felt her cheeks burning up like before. She still couldn't understand why her body was behaving like this, so Mei turned away from Yuzu on instinct.

When dinner was finished, they both brought their bowls and chopsticks to the sink. Even though Yuzu insisted on doing the washing, Mei refused to let the blonde do everything by herself. With that, Mei took the reins, and Yuzu went to the bathroom to shower.

* * *

It had been several days since they first stayed in the apartment, and each night resulted in excess tossing and turning for Yuzu. Ever since her revelation, Yuzu always woke up with dark circles beneath her red eyes due to her lack of rest, and she found it more stressful to sleep next to Mei than it should be. Even Yuzu's attempts at convincing herself that she was simply sleeping next to a friend proved futile, and she discovered another growing fear during her sleepless nights: being unable to hold herself back and losing Mei. In bed, Yuzu always had to turn her back towards Mei to limit the risks of doing something regrettable, and sometimes, Yuzu thought it would be best to sleep on the couch.

 _If this keeps up, I really will have to consider it. I hope Mei won't take it the wrong way or suspect what's happening._

Replacing the bandages every evening was awfully troublesome. Getting up close to Mei and having her reveal more of her skin made Yuzu envision some rather inappropriate things. She'd often try to avert her eyes, but Mei would question her and point out that Yuzu wasn't applying medication to the correct spots. When it was Mei's turn to help Yuzu with her bandages, Yuzu would be extremely flushed as she would lift up her shirt. The sensation of Mei's delicate fingers on her skin was delightful yet scary for Yuzu, as Mei's soft and careful touches made Yuzu's entire body feel fuzzy. As a result, Yuzu would always feel a build up of heat in her face, her chest, and her core. It was dizzying and was becoming exponentially unsafe. The urge to let loose was so dangerously close to being acted out upon, it was making Yuzu genuinely terrified.

Midday wasn't any better. Confined to a tiny apartment, Yuzu was bored out of her mind, and she couldn't depend on her new phone since it lacked many features. The TV didn't really play anything interesting either, so Yuzu was out of luck. She knew that talking to Mei would solve her problems of boredom, but then there would be the problem with her mess of emotions. During times like this, when she would debate talking to Mei, Yuzu would pull her hair to the point that they'd be torn off.

 _What's up with these stupid feelings?! Stop feeling so helpless and lost, idiot Yuzu!_ Yuzu, who was sitting at the dining table, glanced at Mei, who sat on the couch while hugging her knees close to her chest. Her eyes naturally drifted to Mei's lips. Similar thoughts from the night of her revelation swarmed Yuzu, but she quickly got a hold of herself and looked away. _Yuzu, control yourself! Stop thinking about Mei in that way!_ The blonde's eyes traveled upward toward Mei's. Mei's had a hint of loneliness, and Yuzu frowned. _I've been only concerned about myself that I never really stopped to think about how Mei is doing. She must be so bored._

Yuzu found herself gravitating towards the spot on the couch next to Mei. Mei looked up at Yuzu as she sat down, but Yuzu kept her eyes averted. They both remained silent, and after awhile, Yuzu snuck a glance at Mei. Mei was still hugging her knees to her chest, and she was looking back down at the floor. She appeared downcast, and Yuzu wanted to do something about it.

"Mei, do you...want to go shopping with me?" Yuzu asked. Mei looked up again at Yuzu with an unsure look. "We can buy more supplies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we can also buy some things for entertainment."

"If we're running low on supplies, then I suppose I'll join you. We just need to quickly call the others and let them know that we are leaving," Mei replied.

Shortly after making the phone calls, Mei and Yuzu met up with the three undercover police—a bearded man with a blue hoodie on, a man with fake glasses and a white collar shirt, and a woman with a black skirt and brown coat. The police trailed behind Mei and Yuzu as they walked through the streets.

Towering many stories above, a man was peering through the window of an apartment to survey the plaza. He looked towards the shops that lined the edges of the square, he looked at a nearby park filled with trees and benches, and he looked at-

Ding!

His phone lit up, and he saw a group text on his lock screen. He read the words, his eyes widened, and he immediately looked towards the fountain. Yes, he could see them. The blonde hair, and the primary target walking beside her, Mei. The man, along with the other members of the group chat, sent texts back, saying that they all have visual confirmation. Another text popped up.

 **Be on the lookout for bodyguards. Find out who they are, then we can take them out quietly.**

There were too many people around to quickly identify the body guards, especially since they were going undercover. So far, no one stood out. Then, the members of the groupchat, all of whom were scattered around in buildings and on the plaza grounds, observed how their main targets were entering a supermarket.

Ding!

 **Observe and jot down the physical attributes of anyone who enters the building within a minute duration.**

There were twenty-four people who entered the supermarket within one minute after Mei and Yuzu went in.

Ding!

 **We wait for the primary targets to exit the building, then observe and mark down the individuals who leave the supermarket within one minute. We should be able to narrow down from our notes who the guards should be.**

After fifteen minutes, they spot Mei and Yuzu leaving the supermarket. Of the twenty-four people noted earlier, only six of them emerged from the building after a minute had passed. Eventually, two of the five diverged from Mei and Yuzu's path, then later on, one more walked away from them. The remaining three people continued on the same path as Mei and Yuzu, and after noticing how the three still followed behind after visiting a bookstore, the lurking members snapped multiple pictures of the undercover police for future reference.

Ding!

 **Follow them and find out where they are staying. Afterwards, we will reconvene for further planning.**

* * *

"Mei, do you want to play cards or help me complete the jigsaw puzzle?" Yuzu was sitting at the dining table with a bag full of games she had bought to pass time, including a deck of cards, a two-thousand piece jigsaw puzzle containing an image of a big, fluffy bear—while inside the bookstore, Mei happened to look towards the board games section and was immediately drawn to the bear, so Yuzu decided to buy it—and a 3X3X3 Rubik's Cube.

"No thanks, I just want to read the novel I bought," Mei replied as she sat down on the couch. Yuzu pouted, but since she didn't want to bother Mei, she took out the Rubik's Cube and scrambled it up.

Ten minutes had passed by, and Yuzu still couldn't solve the first layer of the cube even when referring to a guide. Growing frustrated, Yuzu growled and made a few negative remarks to the cube. Mei looked up from her book and at Yuzu. She couldn't focus on her reading due to the noises that Yuzu was making, but after seeing how lonely Yuzu appeared while figuring out the Rubik's Cube, Mei set her book down on her lap.

"Yuzu, if you solve the cube while keeping quiet, I will join you in the activity of your choice," Mei said.

"Wait, really? You promise?" Yuzu asked with interest and excitement. Mei nodded her head. "If...If I win...will you…" An endless number of possibilities ran appeared in Yuzu's mind. They could play cards, solve the jigsaw puzzle, maybe even cook together. Then, her deepest, darkest cravings came into thought. _She said she'd join me in anything that I choose._ Yuzu gulped. She envisioned herself hugging Mei's arm while nestling beside her on the couch, sitting on her lap while watching TV, sleeping on her chest in bed, going to the bathroom and taking a show- "...kiss me?"

A surge of heat swept over Mei's cheeks and chest as she stared at Yuzu with wide eyes. She didn't know what to think or say, and the silence was killing Yuzu. Yuzu was as red as a tomato due to embarrassment, she told herself that she screwed up big time, and she thought to herself that if there was any point in time she would rewind, it would be now.

"You may very well ask for a kiss if you win," Mei spoke up in a calm tone before turning her attention back to her book. Now Yuzu was at a loss for words. She certainly wasn't expecting Mei to agree to her request, especially after Mei was understandably surprised upon hearing it.

 _Maybe she's just teasing me, or maybe she thinks that I was joking around. Shoot, how did I get myself in this situation! This is so embarrassing!_ Yuzu thought as rubbed her temples.

"You won't be able to get your kiss if you just sit there and sulk," Mei said without looking up from the page she was reading.

 _She is definitely teasing me!_ Yuzu somehow became a darker shade of red, and she had to concentrate all of her mental power to holding up the Rubik's Cube. Getting a headache just from looking at the unsolved cube, Yuzu glanced at the guide on the table and flipped through the pages with impatience. As Yuzu tried to understand the instructions, Mei occasionally peeked at the blonde to see how she was doing.

Progress was finally made. After ten minutes, Yuzu managed to correctly orientate the first layer of the cube. Yuzu quietly cheered to herself, and unbeknownst to her, Mei nodded in approval. The thrill of success was quickly overtaken by agony, as Yuzu scratched her head at how to complete the middle layer. After twenty minutes, Yuzu was on the brink of giving up and begged Mei to take into consideration of her hard work and progress. Mei simply stated that she would continue to read unless Yuzu solved the entire cube, causing Yuzu to mumble in disappointment. Mei once again emphasized that she would do whatever Yuzu wanted if she followed through with the deal, peaking Yuzu's interest and embarrassment again.

Since Yuzu was taking a long time to solve the cube, she had to take a break to make dinner, eat, and shower. Afterwards, she resumed her work, getting closer and closer to figuring out the middle layer. She probably spent way more effort and was more mentally taxed than when she was attending school. Her perseverance paid off, as she finally solved the middle layer and eventually the entire cube right before bedtime.

"Look, Mei! I did it!" Yuzu proudly presented the completed puzzle, and Mei put her book down on the couch. The raven-haired woman made her way to the dining table and seemed pleased.

"Congratulations, you actually did it. Now, for your reward…" Mei looked at Yuzu with a slight smirk. Yuzu promptly turned red, cursing herself for blurting out that she wanted a kiss as a reward. As Yuzu tried to find a way out of the awkward situation, she noticed how Mei seemed to be inching closer and closer to her face. The blonde screamed internally and started holding her breath as Mei's face was a few centimeters away.

"M-M-Mei! I was, uh, joking earlier! Asking for a k-kiss would be ridiculous! I still need to come up with something!" Yuzu said almost incoherently. She nervously laughed to herself, while Mei's smirk vanished as she backed away. "Um, let's...let's just complete the jigsaw puzzle instead," Yuzu said quietly after some time.

"If that is what you wish," Mei simply replied as she pulled up a seat next to Yuzu at the table.

Mei and Yuzu constructed the left and right sides of the puzzle, respectively. The activity was silent and uncomfortable for Yuzu, who was originally hoping that this would be a great way to bond with Mei. Instead, her mind constantly drifted back to the event that took place just a few moments ago. Mei's face was so close to hers that Yuzu could recall her wonderful scent, the smoothness and perfection of her skin, and, most noteworthy, her soft lips. For a second, Yuzu thought she would lose her mind and turn to lust when Mei was nearing her face. That exact moment, along with a couple variations, was a reoccuring dream or fantasy each and every night, which was why Yuzu always had to sleep with her back facing Mei. At this point, Yuzu contemplated if she should even continue with this jigsaw puzzle activity, or if she should look at or talk to Mei anymore. This idea made Yuzu's heart wrench. She felt guilty for thinking that she would avoid Mei altogether, but she tried to argue that this was for her own good.

 _For your own good? You'd end up hurting Mei by avoiding her!_

 _It's better than unintentionally forcing yourself upon her!_

 _Mei wouldn't know why you are avoiding her at all costs. It'll make her feel betrayed, confused, and lonely! Do you really want that?_

 _...I don't know…maybe…_

 _Listen to yourself! She's struggled to find people she likes to be around, and now you're ripping that away from her!_

 _But I don't want to do anything really regretful! I wouldn't be able to live with-_

"Yuzu, are you feeling alright? You haven't made much progress on your end," Mei said, startling the blonde. Yuzu fluttered her eyes a few times as she came to her senses. "Wait, your eyes are red and watery. Is something wrong?"

"N-no. I'm feeling just fine. Let's just continue working on this puzzle." Yuzu faked a smile but kept looking away from Mei.

"Yuzu, tell me what's wrong," Mei said sternly.

"Nothing."

"Yuzu, please look at me," Mei said, hoping that Yuzu would open up to her. But Yuzu didn't move. She kept looking at the table, and her smile faded away. "Yuzu…" Mei softly touched Yuzu's cheek with one hand to make her look into her eyes. Yuzu gasped when she saw the entrancing beauty of Mei's lavender eyes staring straight at her, and before she could become hypnotised by them, Yuzu looked down at the floor. Mei, with a pained look, took both of Yuzu's hands and caressed her palms. "Yuzu, why won't you look me in the eyes?"

"Be-because…" Yuzu gulped, the nervousness and heat starting to overwhelm her. She couldn't think properly anymore due to the influx of emotions and the heavy pounding of her heart.

Mei waited patiently for an answer, but Yuzu didn't finish her sentence. Instead, tears started to roll down Yuzu's cheeks, and she couldn't hold back her whimpers.

"Here, let me get you a tissue," Mei said in response. She let go of Yuzu's hands as she stood up, but was stopped short when she felt Yuzu grasp onto her fingers, preventing her from leaving. Mei looked behind at Yuzu, who was still looking down at the floor. Now, Yuzu's tears were dirtying her clothes. "Yuzu, I have to get you a box of tissues. I'll be right back." After a couple seconds, Yuzu let go, allowing Mei to fetch her the tissues. Mei quickly returned, and she raised her arm and hand to dry off Yuzu's face. She gently dabbed around the blonde's eyes, as well as her cheeks and her chin, making sure to get every wet spot.

The tears never seemed to end, and as Mei tried to dry them all, she peered down at Yuzu's lap to see that her fists were trembling tremendously. Before Mei had the chance to look back up at Yuzu's face, Yuzu suddenly sprang forward and grabbed her wrists. Almost as if she were possessed, Yuzu pushed Mei to the wall directly behind her, and, pinning Mei's hands to the side, furiously kissed her. Yuzu's tongue forced its way past Mei's tongue and into her mouth, ravenously and unrelentingly claiming everything as her own. Mei struggled to breathe as Yuzu dominated her, but she didn't try to resist. She simply stared straight into Yuzu's lidded eyes with shock, not expecting such emotion and desire coming from the bashful, caring, respectful woman.

Yuzu loosened her grip around Mei's wrists before stepping back. She was breathing heavily, and when she saw Mei's unmoving, staggered expression, Yuzu put her hand to her mouth with a fearful look, then hastily left the room. Mei, who still looked straight ahead where Yuzu once was, slowly raised her right hand and touched her lips. She heard one of the doors slamming shut, but Mei still remained motionless against the wall, thinking about the kiss.

* * *

Sitting on the bed in her nightwear, Mei was becoming increasingly concerned about Yuzu. It was nearly midnight, and Yuzu still hadn't left the bathroom. Occasionally, Mei could hear what sounded like sobbing and growling on the other side of the door, but Mei didn't want to converse with Yuzu and unintentionally upset the distressed woman.

Mei heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, prompting her to look in the direction of the bedroom doorway. Mei waited for Yuzu to enter the bedroom, but she never came. Deciding to check on Yuzu, Mei left the room and found Yuzu lying on the couch. Now came the question if Mei should try to reassure Yuzu, or if she should leave Yuzu alone and have her calm down overnight. Since Mei wasn't the most keen about social situations, she decided she would make a nice cup of tea for Yuzu and get her relaxed. Turning on a few lights to make the room dim, and after brewing the tea, Mei set the cup down on the coffee table across from the couch. When Mei peered at Yuzu, she noticed how Yuzu was staring into the void with bloodshot eyes and tear stains all over.

"Yuzu, please drink up. I hope it will make you feel better," Mei said softly, hunching over beside the arm of the couch where Yuzu's head was resting. Yuzu silently looked up at Mei, scrutinizing her as if to figure out Mei's emotional stance and reaction in regards to the recent turn of events.

"Do you hate me?" Yuzu asked in a barely audible voice as she looked elsewhere again.

"Hate you? No, not at all," Mei responded with a bewildered look.

"But...I sexually assaulted you. I can't be forgiven for that," Yuzu said, somehow holding back her whimpers.

"I don't hate you for that. Considering how we've been stuck together in seclusion for so long, as well as how for the longest time we were stuck outside of our comfort zones, you probably just had to act on your sexual urges. It's completely normal," Mei reasoned, but Yuzu shook her head in disagreement.

"That's not it. Even with your logic, sexuallly assaulting you just to relieve myself still isn't acceptable." Yuzu took a deep breath, then sat up straight on the couch. She looked down at her lap, where both of her hands were, "Besides, my case is more convoluted than what you are perceiving."

"What do you mean?" Mei asked, sitting down beside Yuzu.

"Like you've said, we've been traveling and staying together for so long. We've been through tough times, but we always stayed together. That's bound to have some sort of effect." Yuzu glanced at Mei, who still seemed as if she didn't quite understand what Yuzu was trying to say. "Haven't you questioned why I've been acting awkwardly around you lately? It's because of you. You have some sort of effect on me. An effect that makes me feel good and warm. It was only a couple days ago when I finally found out what it all meant." Yuzu looked away in nervousness as she twiddled her thumbs. "Don't you get it?"

At first, Mei simply stared at Yuzu as she tried to comprehend everything the blonde said. Then, slowly but surely, piecing all the information together, Mei understood. She understood why Yuzu seemed to be avoidant, why she seemed unsure of herself, why her emotions kept varying throughout the day, and why her bubble burst. Mei had originally thought that Yuzu was being funny or delirious when she first asked for a kiss, and Mei thought that they both weren't taking things seriously. But no, Yuzu had been trying to hold back her feelings and her desires out of fear, but all the effort, mental strain, and everything she stood up for, crumbled.

"I-I'm speechless. I'm...I...uh...don't know what to say." Mei unconsciously moved her right hand to her chest and grasped her shirt.

"Mei, I understand if you don't share the same feelings. I just...I just don't want to lose you. If you tell me to, I promise I'll suppress these feelings. I promise I'll go back to being my normal self," Yuzu said with uncertainty.

"Yuzu, this is a lot to take in. I swear I don't want to lose you either. I swear. Just...let me think for a moment." But Mei couldn't think properly. Her brain was just as if a typhoon had swept through, almost as if the impulses and neurons stopped working. "I-I'll give you my answer in the morning or noon. I really want to take this seriously." With that, Mei headed towards the bedroom in a hurry.

Yuzu remained on the couch, devoid of a will to do anything at all. For an extensive amount of time, Yuzu simply thought back to the confession and Mei's reaction. She told herself that Mei wouldn't return the same feelings. She couldn't think of a reason why Mei would. When the time would come, Yuzu would have to face Mei again and be heartbroken. She hated this.

* * *

There was only an hour left before sunrise. Yuzu was unable to sleep even after turning off the lights that Mei left on. The anxiety and stress was eating at her. Deciding she would take a quick walk outside for a breath of fresh air, Yuzu made her way to the nearest landline. She decided she would only need one of the police officers to accompany her, since Mei still needed the two others for protection in case of an emergency. Yuzu's call was answered, and the blonde said she was simply going for a walk. The voice on the other end sounded rather raspy, but Yuzu assumed it was from a combination of the cop's grogginess and Yuzu's impaired hearing due to exhaustion. She hung up, grabbed her cell phone, left the apartment while remembering to lock the door, then exited the building. She met up with the undercover cop, who wore an oversized hoodie and also sported a surgical mask.

It really was refreshing to walk outside early in the morning. The temperature was cool, and there weren't nearly as many people out in the streets. Yuzu actually felt tranquil for once. If she didn't have trouble waking up so early, Yuzu would probably make this a daily routine.

Yuzu stretched her arms back as she walked, enjoying the feeling of the blood flow. She made a turn around the building she was living in, making sure not to venture too far. Yuzu neared a flickering light post, and the moment she noticed a black van parked beside the curb, she felt a pair of hands grabbing her by the arm and muffling her. The next thing she knew, Yuzu felt a strip of cloth covering her eyes, then her mouth, then, after her hands were forcefully tied together, she was carried on someone's shoulder before being shoved into something cold and metallic. She heard what sounded like doors slamming, then the revving of an engine, and before she knew it, she was being driven away.

* * *

 **Some cliche moments, but I really wanted to focus on the emotion. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all so much for the overwhelming support! Also, sorry for the delay!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

" _We've been traveling and staying together for so long. We've been through tough times, but we always stayed together. That's bound to have some sort of effect."_

The morning light pierced the curtains of the bedroom. Mei was still lying in bed and staring straight up at the ceiling, her face looking exhausted despite doing nothing.

" _You have some sort of effect on me. An effect that makes me feel good and warm. It was only a couple days ago when I finally found out what it all meant. Don't you get it?"_

Last night, after unexpectedly being confessed to, Mei immediately sought refuge under the covers of the bed with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She tossed and she turned, her heart pounding loudly throughout the night in the otherwise eerily silent room. She was drenched in sweat, and she was unable to fall asleep until very late.

Presently, Mei could feel the effects of her lack of sleep all over her body. She peered at the clock on the wall to see that it was ten. She decided she would go to the restroom to wash up, then head over to the kitchen to see how Yuzu was fairing. Perhaps she could help out with making breakfast, or basically anything that would make Yuzu less stressed. But Mei remained in bed. She couldn't find the will to push aside the covers or sit up. Not until she came to a conclusion regarding Yuzu's confession.

Mei covered her face with both hands as she released a low grumble. Just thinking about it was already taking its toll on her. She didn't want to think about this whole situation, but she knew that dealing with the decision-making later would make her feel worn out and upset. Taking a deep breath, Mei relaxed herself and thought about how she viewed Yuzu. Her mind went blank as she was unable to think properly. Mei then decided she would recount when she first met the blonde. Mei naturally revisited the moments when she accidentally collided with Yuzu, when they both had to run and hide from danger, and when she was invited to stay at Yuzu's apartment. Despite how Mei unintentionally dragged Yuzu through hell, Yuzu still treated her kindly. There was no doubt in Mei's mind that Yuzu an incredibly selfless and trustworthy friend, and Mei was eternally grateful to have met her.

A powerful headache suddenly overwhelmed Mei. She groaned aloud and shut her eyes tightly as she tried to overcome this uncomfortable sensation. The feeling persisted for a minute, but just as quickly as it appeared, it ceased.

Mei quickly dismissed the pain as a random occurrence or because she was thinking too hard while being sleep deprived. She continued to think about her and Yuzu's journey, and naturally, Mei thought about the town, then the forest, then the car ride back to Tokyo. During those times, Mei and Yuzu had grown accustomed to one another, helping each other and strengthening their relationship along the way. Then Mei thought about how she, for some reason, grew envious about when Yuzu ate with their ex-coworker. For some reason, Mei had felt compelled enough to follow Yuzu to that restaurant, and when Mei was disoriented by the attack from the knife-wielding deviant, Yuzu stepped in and dragged her away to safety. Then, when Yuzu was stabbed in the abdomen during that fateful night in the woods, Mei remembered that seeing Yuzu in such a vulnerable state made Mei feel a level of sickness and ferocity that she had never experienced before. Mei remembered crying for Yuzu, and when she saw that Yuzu had made it out alive and healthy in the hospital, Mei was beyond relieved. Even just thinking about the hospital visit made Mei feel elated. She wouldn't know what she would have done if her closest friend didn't make it.

Mei felt nauseous and lightheaded. It was almost as if her body was programmed to reject some proposition. The thing is, Mei didn't know what she thought of that triggered it. The nauseating feeling was getting worse with each passing second, so Mei hurriedly left the bed and headed to the restroom. After relieving herself, Mei decided that she would mind as well check up on Yuzu. She headed towards the couch to find it empty, then it occurred to Mei that Yuzu wasn't in the kitchen either.

"Yuzu? Where are you?" Mei called out, but was met with silence. She circled the entire apartment twice, but Yuzu was still yet to be seen. Mei figured that Yuzu left to buy some more groceries or to get some fresh air, and Mei felt a little bit upset that Yuzu left without a word. Feeling somewhat disheartened and lonely, Mei sat down on the couch, hoping that Yuzu would come back soon.

* * *

Yuzu's breathing was ragged as she attempted to free her bound hands. Her wrists were red and bruised from the roughness and tightness of the rope, and no matter how much she tried to squeeze her hands out of the loops or try to claw at the knots, Yuzu couldn't make any progress. She squirmed and grunted in agony, and having her eyes and mouth covered by the cloths didn't help either. Yuzu tried to slide off her blindfold and gag by dragging her head across the floor, but her attempts were futile as the vehicle would suddenly brake, accelerate, or turn, causing Yuzu to slam against the cold metallic walls. As a result of her being flung around the back of the van multiple times, not only did her entire body feel sore, but she also felt so disorientated to the point that she was nearly going to throw up.

Yuzu heard the sound of laughter coming from the front seats. She knew the laughter was directed at her, and she felt humiliated, helpless, and scared. She then dreaded the thought that her body would be tampered with or mutilated, then being buried or thrown into the river and vanishing without a trace. She silently wept, praying to whatever was out there, that everything would be okay.

 _Oh god, please don't let me die like this. Please. I don't want to die._ Yuzu's tears seeped through the blindfold. Her mind drifted to Mei, and her heart sank. _I don't want to die like this. Mei, I want to see you again. Oh god, why did this have to happen?_

The van came to an abrupt stop, causing Yuzu to slam into the back of the seats in front of her. She heard the back door open, and before she knew it, she was being carried on someone's back. Yuzu tried to scream through her gag just in case there were people nearby who could help, but it seemed as if she was in some private area that belonged to the thugs. After awhile, Yuzu was eventually set down on a chair with a rope binding her waist to it. She tried to break free, but the ropes around her hands and waist were secure.

"It's no use. You're better off saving your energy," a charming voice spoke up. Yuzu felt her blindfold being taken off, and once her eyes adjusted to the lighting of what appeared to be an office, she noticed a nicely dressed, incredibly attractive man smiling at her. The man was leaning against his desk as he ran his fingers through his brown hair, then he looked at the several men beside Yuzu with a worried look. "Please, let's not stand around and make our guest feel intimidated." In response, the captors left the room, leaving Yuzu alone with the man in charge.

Yuzu tried to inch her chair away while hopelessly attempting to loosen her ropes. She didn't buy the man's kindness as it was clear he wanted something from her.

"Why so apprehensive?" The man smirked, stepping closer to Yuzu. His soulless gray eyes and his sinister expression were frightening, and Yuzu hastened her efforts to free herself and move away. The man violently gripped onto the arm rests of the chair, prohibiting Yuzu from escaping, and he brought his face very closely to Yuzu's. Yuzu felt a shiver through her entire body, and her eyes moved wildly to avoid his gaze. "I am going to ask you one question. I really don't want anything bad to happen to you, so I think it's in your best interest to answer truthfully."

Yuzu breathing was becoming heavier by the minute, terrified about what was going to happen to her. The man lowered Yuzu's gag, allowing her to gasp for air.

"If you tell the truth, you'll be out of here in an instant! Isn't that wonderful?" The man waited for a response, but Yuzu was too scared to say anything. "Aw, come on. If you remain shy, we may have some problems. I think you and I would prefer that things don't get messy." The man cleared his throat. "So, where is Mei?"

There was a pit in Yuzu's stomach. Mei's life was now in her hands, and if Yuzu gave her location away, then she'd never be able to live with herself knowing she was responsible for Mei's death. Yuzu knew that no matter what, she could not give away the answer, but at the same time, she was genuinely terrified by what the man in front of her was capable of.

"Hey, it's okay! Just tell me! You won't get into any trouble," the interrogator said with a charismatic voice. Yuzu knew that was a complete lie. She would not carelessly give away Mei's life. "Still too shy? As I've said, I really don't want anything bad to happen to you, especially to your pretty face."

Yuzu gulped. She knew her captor was growing impatient, and it was only a matter of time before he would resort to force to extract her answer. _Should I just lie? Maybe send them away on some wild goose chase?_

"You know, I've been trying to make this as neat and simple as possible, but my patience is wearing thin," the man said with a slightly agitated voice. "I'll give you five seconds, and then things will get ugly."

Five seconds. Yuzu didn't have enough time to come up with an elaborate lie. She was growing more panicked, and she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind.

"She's in an apartment right next to the police station so she would be more protected. But I swear, I don't remember the exact address!" Yuzu stared into the man's eyes, hoping that he would be easily swayed.

"Next to the police station, huh?" The man lowered his head and didn't move. Yuzu couldn't gauge his reaction, but she knew for sure she messed up.

Yuzu suddenly felt his fist punch hard against her right cheek, causing her to cry out. She felt another blow to her left cheek, and she was stunned for a couple seconds. Her cheeks stung a lot, and after regaining her senses and fearing what else would happen to her, Yuzu desperately tried to squirm away. Her efforts were useless as usual, as the irritated person in front of her had an iron grip on the chair.

"Tell me the truth. I'm not going to ask again," the man threatened. No response. The man cracked his knuckles and hit Yuzu in the cheeks again, this time causing her to spit out some saliva and blood. "Tell me goddamnit!"

Yuzu didn't utter a single word. She was too shocked to reply or retaliate, and at that point, she accepted her fate. As long as Mei was safe, Yuzu was content.

The man sighed in annoyance. He reeled his arm back, then delivered a blow to Yuzu's eye. Yuzu's head violently jerked backwards in response, and she felt a punch to her gut. She screamed in agony. The punch just so happened to be very close to her wound, and the pain was unbearable. Yuzu didn't bother to hold back her tears or her whimpers, and as the man was about to pummel her again, they both heard the ringing of a cell phone. The ringing was coming from Yuzu's pocket, and Yuzu knew it had to be Mei.

"Oh, who could that be?" The man reached into Yuzu's pocket and pulled out the phone. He grinned seeing Yuzu squirm in her seat and hearing her beg for him to stop. He glanced at the caller ID, and his devilish grin grew wider. "I'm going to need you to be a quiet, obedient girl for a bit," he said, roughly putting the gag back over Yuzu's mouth, then answered the call and set it to speaker.

"Yuzu, where are you? You've been gone for a long time, and I'm getting really worried," Mei's voice resonated from the speaker. Yuzu tried to scream through her gag in an effort to let Mei know that something was wrong. "Yuzu, are you there? I hear something strange in the background."

"Hello, Miss Aihara, I'm sorry to inform you that your friend is very busy at this moment. Would you like me to let her know what's on your mind?" the man spoke in his charming voice.

On the other end of the phone, Mei was puzzled. Why someone else was answering Yuzu's phone, she didn't know. But there was something about his voice that seemed very familiar. Too familiar.

"...Amamiya?"

"That's right!" the man, Amamiya, replied. "I'm so happy you remember me!"

"Where is Yuzu? And tell me why you are answering her phone," Mei demanded in a stern voice.

"Oh, I simply invited her over, and right now, she is sitting comfortably in front of me." Amamiya winked at Yuzu, who was wriggling about violently while trying to shout through her gag.

"Is that...her in the background?" Mei gritted her teeth, her clenched fists barely controlling her rage.

"Hehe, well, I think you know the answer to that. Hey, I have a wonderful idea! How about you come visit her! She would surely enjoy the company!" Amamiya exclaimed. "You know what, I'll make it more convenient! I can arrange a ride for you, free of charge! Then you will happily be reunited with your friend!"

"I...you…" Mei stammered, not knowing what to do.

"Ah, I see you are greatly appreciative of my offer! How about you give us your street address, wait outside, then we'll take care of everything for you! Oh, and there's no need to call your friends at the police station. _Yuzu_ here wouldn't like it if you did," Amamiya said with a dark tone. "So, what do you say?"

Mei had absolutely no idea what to say. _Is he bluffing? Is there a way he'd know if I contacted the police?_ A part of her wanted to hang up and inform the police, but at the same time, she didn't want to risk it. The consequences were dire. _He said that Yuzu would suffer if I called the police. I can't let anything happen to her. Maybe I don't need to call the police. Maybe I can just quickly make my way there and tell the-_

"Your friend is getting super bored. I imagine she's only willing to wait for say fifteen minutes. And that includes the time it takes for your reply and the time it takes for your chauffeur to pick you up and take you here. I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you."

Fifteen minutes total. Mei realized that her plan would take too long considering potential problems like traffic, as well as how she didn't know the amount of time it would take to reach Yuzu and Amamiya.

"Do you...do you promise that you will leave Yuzu alone if I go?" Mei asked with a defeated voice.

"You have my word!" Amamiya replied enthusiastically.

Mei submitted. If it meant that Yuzu would be unharmed, then she had no choice. She told Amamiya where she would be waiting, then hung up. Sitting on the couch, Mei glanced at her surroundings. She looked at seemingly unimportant things like the kitchen table, the chairs, the TV, and the curtains of the windows. She took a deep breath. This might very well be the last time she would see this apartment. But there was no time to be sentimental. The clock was ticking, and Mei hurried out the door. But not before she concealed a pocket knife and a gun in her coat, both of which she was left with after her and Yuzu's visit to the police station when first arriving in Tokyo.

* * *

All was quiet except for the footsteps of an impatient Amamiya, who was pacing back and forth in front of his desk. He checked his watch. There were less than two minutes left. He looked at Yuzu, seeing how her head was hung low and how she had finally completely given up on escaping her binds. There was a knock on his door, and in walked Mei and a henchman.

"Ah! The main star has finally arrived!" Amamiya clapped his hands before gesturing for Mei to walk further into the room. "It truly is a pleasure that you could…"

Mei tuned out Amamiya. Her eyes locked straight onto Yuzu. She noticed Yuzu's black eye, the swelling of her cheeks, and the blood that was seeping through her shirt where her stomach was. Mei could barely hold herself back. It was at this moment that seeing Yuzu, who was nothing but kind and innocent, in this battered and deprived state made Mei feel something akin to the time she nearly witnessed Yuzu's death in the forest. But she couldn't risk doing something reckless right now. She had to play her cards right to save Yuzu and hopefully herself.

Yuzu lifted her head up slightly to look at Mei. They didn't say anything. For now, they were grateful to see each other, but they knew they didn't have much longer. Mei's life was likely counting down its last few minutes or seconds, and Yuzu, unwilling to accept this fact, looked away from her with tears.

"...you may leave. Let the others know that their final paychecks are in the safe in the storage room," Amamiya said to the mercenary, who nodded and left the room. Amamiya then addressed Mei, pulling out a gun from his suit. "I'll keep this short and simple. And I think you know what is going to happen. So, any last words?"

"I would like to know...why are you doing this?" Mei asked. In her mind, she wanted to stall in order to find the opportunity to pull out her own gun.

"You're asking me that? I'm kind of disappointed! Well, I suppose I'll let you know," Amamiya chuckled. He started pacing back and forth while playing with the gun in his hand. Mei couldn't risk shooting Amamiya now as he could realistically see Mei pull her gun out from his peripheral vision and shoot her first. "To put it simply, your family ruined my business. You all crushed me like a person crushes an ant, and I virtually had nothing left. And, well, seeing the praise your family gets really hit a nerve. I wanted to exact revenge, and I was willing to use every last bit of money I had to see it through."

Mei initially intended to just ignore Amamiya and to plan out her counterattack, but hearing the nonsense spewing out of his mouth made her furious. Her fists were shaking ever so slightly, and her hand was twitching to pull out the gun.

"Not only did you try to kill me and Yuzu, but you killed my father and several other people just because of your failing career?" Mei gritted her teeth. She was so close to letting loose.

"Pretty much. I guess that does sound a bit extreme, doesn't it?" Amamiya said calmly, causing Mei's eyes to twitch. "Well, I gave you my explanation. You'd better say your goodbyes. _Yuzu_ will surely want to hear your voice one last time."

Amamiya turned around and started heading for his chair at his desk. Mei, whose mind was clouded with hatred and anguish, realized that this was her chance. She whipped out her gun, aimed at Amamiya's back, and fired. The man grunted after being shot, dropping his gun and collapsing onto his knees. Mei walked closer to him. Before Amamiya could turn his head to see what was happening, Mei shot him again. And again. And again. Blood was spilling out from four bullet wounds in his back, and Amamiya was squirming around like a dried worm on the sidewalk.

Mei had her gun trained on his head. She lusted for revenge, her finger slowly applying pressure on the trigger. But then, she finally came to her senses. She looked at her now shaking hands in horror, then at the bloodied man before her. She took a couple steps back. Sure, she killed those men in the woods without hesitation, but in this case, she was simply shooting to torture. If she had immediately gone for the head, then she wouldn't have thought twice about it. Now, she felt a little fearful about herself for having such malicious intent and for almost stooping to the same level as that monster. Mei knew that Amamiya deserved whatever hell was thrown at him, but this wasn't her. She just wanted to live a peaceful life.

Mei picked up Amamiya's gun from the floor to prevent him from inflicting anymore damage. She then made her way to a petrified Yuzu. Mei took out her pocket knife and cut through the ropes around Yuzu's wrists, then helped the blonde from the ropes that tied her to the chair. Mei helped Yuzu stand up, and they briefly shared a look of both relief and uncertainty. Mei took out her phone and handed it to Yuzu. Yuzu made a call to the police, and that was that. They waited in silence in the office, watching as Amamiya's body slowly came to a standstill.

* * *

 **A couple of days later**

It was a dark and cloudy day. The wind rustled the leaves and the branches of the trees in the courtyard of stone. Standing before a marble headstone in the grass was Mei, clad in a black dress. She squatted down with her palms closed together and had her eyes closed. There, she remained silent and motionless.

Watching from afar were Yuzu and Matsuri, the latter who came to Tokyo as soon as she heard the news about what had happened—the police stated on TV that they had managed to track down and incarcerate all of Amamiya's henchmen, so it was safe for Matsuri to visit Yuzu. They met in the hospital where Yuzu was being treated, and once it was deemed safe for Yuzu to leave, Mei and Yuzu transported some things from their temporary apartment to Yuzu's with the help of Matsuri. For the past several days, Matsuri had been staying with them.

"Is she going to be alright?" Matsuri asked, looking up at Yuzu.

"Yeah. From what I understand, Mei wasn't exactly close with her father, but I'm glad she's making it up with him now," Yuzu replied, never looking away from Mei. There was silence for awhile.

"Do you like her?"

Yuzu didn't say anything for a couple of seconds, then, in a dismal voice, said, "Yes."

Matsuri raised an eyebrow. "Why do you sound uncertain and sad?" she asked with a worried look. "It almost sounds like you are ashamed to have feelings for her."

"It's not that." Yuzu sighed. "The thing is, I kinda lost control of my emotions at one point, and Mei knows that I like her. Then a lot happened after that. I don't even know if she feels the same way about me." Yuzu took another deep breath. "A part of me just wants to put aside my feelings since we both need some time to recuperate and adjust to life, but a part of me just wants closure."

Matsuri looked away from Yuzu with a frown. "I don't entirely trust her yet, so I'm worried for you if you do end up going out with her. At the same time, I'm also kind of happy for you and wish you the best of luck."

"Aw, gee, thanks," Yuzu replied with a pout before smiling that her friend was mostly approving of her and Mei potentially being together. Yuzu and Matsuri noticed that Mei was finished reconciling with her father and was walking towards them. As a group, they left the cemetery and walked back onto the streets.

The trio decided to eat lunch at a diner, and Matsuri begrudgingly insisted that Yuzu and Mei sat next to each other at a booth. Yuzu appeared bashful, knowing what Matsuri was scheming, while Mei didn't seem to know or care about what was happening. They ordered their meals, and they ate quietly. While Matsuri didn't particularly like the silence, she knew that Mei and Yuzu were at last able to go out in public and eat without the possibility of death at every corner. For once, they could finally rest, and they thoroughly enjoyed this peaceful lunch.

Later on, as they were walking on the streets, Matsuri announced that she was going to head back home to study, so Mei and Yuzu saw her off at the train station. Afterwards, Mei and Yuzu decided that they would return to Yuzu's apartment, and once they stepped through the front door to Yuzu's house, they both sat down on the couch. Like at the diner, they were quiet and relished the tranquility.

"...Mei?" Yuzu asked, looking down at her feet. Mei waited for Yuzu to think of her question. "Are you...going back to your place to manage your family's business?"

Mei looked down at her lap, for she herself had been worried about the same thing for the past week. "Is it alright if I live with you?" Mei timidly asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"Oh, uh, yeah, that's completely fine with me," Yuzu stammered, a little bit surprised by Mei's request. "But what about your company?"

"I will still manage it, especially since my grandfather and father have taught me a lot about how to do it, but I...well... I also don't want to leave you behind," Mei said with a hint of red on her cheeks.

"Oh, okay. I'm glad then." Yuzu smiled.

"Actually, I have something to say," Mei spoke up, sparking Yuzu's interest. "It's in regards to your confession. I've never had the chance to properly tell you my response."

Yuzu immediately froze up, her palms quickly becoming sweaty. This was what she had been waiting for, but now that it was happening, she was getting so nervous that she was probably going to faint.

"I've been thinking for quite a long time. I can't exactly articulate how I feel, but...well...after everything we've been through, we have some sort of bond. And the way I see it, it's a special, irreplaceable bond." Mei stopped to gather her thoughts, while Yuzu was becoming more hopeful but still nervous. "Whenever something happened to you, whether it was at the forest or when you were kidnapped, I understood very well that you mattered a lot to me. During those moments, I thought about nothing but you. If you had died then, then I'd be too ashamed of myself, and I would be haunted every day and night for the rest of my life." Mei bit her lip. "I'm not sure if I'm getting my point across, but, well, the best way I can put it is that there is something about you that makes me feel different, and I'd like to try and be together with you."

Yuzu's brain seemed to stop working. She hadn't said anything or moved in the past ten seconds, and Mei had to call her name several times to see if she was alright. Finally, Yuzu blinked rapidly.

"Do you...do you mean it? Are you absolutely okay with being in a relationship with me?" Yuzu asked with a concerned look. "I don't want there to be any problems in the future that might split us apart. If we are to fully commit to a healthy relationship, then we have to push aside all uncertainties."

Mei knew that Yuzu was right. She didn't want to prematurely start dating and potentially become unhappy as time went on, so in order to make the right decision, she contemplated. She first thought about the qualities that defined Yuzu. Yuzu was kind, caring, honest, loyal, and beautiful. Yuzu was willing to help her out whenever possible, and, well, her cooking was good too. Were there any negative qualities? Mei couldn't think of any that stood out. Any other noteworthy points? Mei felt much more comfortable around her, and being separated from her made Mei feel incomplete. Yuzu's aura was just so compelling and alluring, and at this point, the answer was clear. But first, she needed to confirm with Yuzu. "I know this may sound unnecessary, but I need you to ask yourself the same question. Would you be happy and content with me?"

Yuzu thought to herself. It didn't take longer than a minute before she knew what to say. "Yes, I am sure," Yuzu replied.

"Would you like to know my answer then?" Mei asked, knowing that the question was redundant. Yuzu nodded her head, waiting for the response that would forever change their lives. Mei said nothing at first. She got closer to Yuzu, held her hands, and, with a smile that perfectly expressed confidence, sincerity, and all the emotions throughout their journey that culminated to this very moment, said, "Yes."

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the whole story. Also, I hope that making Amamiya the villain would come off as appropriate since he was extremely manipulative and unlikable in the manga/anime. Anyways, thanks again!**


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